Of Tales Now and Long Ago
by DarqueDeath4444
Summary: Otsutsuki Toneri knew the moment the head was born. He would cultivate the seed planted generations ago to play the final role. Haruno Sakura knew her birthright the moment she became heir. She vanishes from the site of the Haruno massacre at age three. Years later she is found by Konoha, but the mind is the domain of the Haruno and there are things nobody knows, including herself.
1. Prologue

_**PROLOGUE**_

He had known it the moment the chosen had been born.

Had he been any older, the rational, reasonable side of his mind would have protested that it may have been a moment of weakness or the effects of long term loneliness, but his young self that felt the pull, and had reasoned that the heir had been born.

He would be eternally glad for his innocent, naive self.

Earth had been different and very new for him, but the prospect of finally, _finally,_ finding someone of his own blood had fueled his need to deal with his discomfort.

As a baby, he had been told stories of the Haruno clan by his dying mother. The back up the Otsutsuki had planted generations ago would finally bare fruit. From that day, surrounded by the bitterness of a clan long gone, he planned.

He once again felt the pull on the day of a solar eclipse three years later, and he knew it was time. The Village engulfed in mist a majority of every day was easy to sneak into and the sacred grounds of the Otsutsuki simply called for him.

The Haruno Inner was thought to be just like the Uchiha Sharingan or the Kaguya Shikotsumyaku, but he knew exactly what these second presences were.

The leftover traces of a god long gone. It was the proof of the Otsutsuki and their superiority to all other existences, and it was also the proof of the undead link between the Haruno and the Otsutsuki.

The child with the strongest Inner spirit, the strongest trace of god, would become the new head of the Otsutsuki clan.

* * *

The Cave of Generations was a sacred location for the Haruno clan. There, the Ceremony of Choosing took place and the child that stepped out of these caves became the heir to the clan. On an eclipse once every generation, children stepped through the stone doors and one came back.

A group of children, ages ranging from three to six, around twenty of them, all with hair as white as snow and small, grasping fingers, were ushered into a cave. None of them complained and the gates were closed firmly behind the last child that had scrambled in.

All the adults could do now was wait and wait they did, as chakra signatures flared and faded for the next few days.

The moment only one chakra signature remained from within the caves, everyone sensed it.

The mind was the domain of the Haruno clan but it did not mean it was theirs, for the Haruno clan had been created for a reason.

All of them heard footsteps, not from within the caves, but that of a new comer, and when they saw a young teen waiting there with his arms crossed, white robes flowing in the wind and empty sockets of eyes staring right at them with a gentle, kind smile on his face, they knew it was time.

In front of the reason of their entire existence, none of them could do anything, and one by one, they embraced death.

The last of them fell just as the cave doors were opened, and a young with with hair pink like a drop of blood on snow and bright green eyes stepped out. She eyed the sea of dead bodies before her and she slowly turned to look at the white haired boy, who merely looked as though he had stepped into a small puddle by mistake and had gotten the smallest of drops of dirt on his clothes.

The teen turned to look at her too, and he was the first to break the silence. "What is your name, girl?"

The girl blinked slowly, and her eyes widened slowly as though she had come to understand something."I am Sakura."

The teen seemed to roll the name around in his head before his smile widened and his dropped into a graceful bow. "Otsutsuki Sakura-sama. I am Toneri. Otsutsuki Toneri, at your service."

* * *

No one knew that this had all been planned; from the birth of the clan to its bloody end.

Everything.

After years of waiting, after a countless generations worth of bitterness and wish for revenge, the final piece was put in place.

* * *

 **So, here's a rewrite of the original 'Of Tales Now and Long Ago'.**

 **This version will be slightly less comedic. The general path of the plot will be the same as the previous version, but we've changed over the years and there will be plenty of differences as well.**

 **This chapter was slightly short, but it is only the prologue. The following chapters will be longer. Probably not as long as the original, which had a 5k minimum rule, but maybe around 3k words per chapter. We will do out best.**

 **We hope you enjoy this.**

 **Read and Review~**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter ONE**_

"If you manage to experience a heartbeat of bliss in a world full of cruelty, do you think you will be grateful for the moment?

It was almost always during the full moon that the most random of questions were asked.

Toneri glanced over towards the altar, where a young girl was perched on the sacrifice stone basking in moonlight, eerily bright green eyes staring up through the small gap in the ceiling of stones.

The altar was located in the middle of a sealed cave and the girl's only source of experience of the outside came through the small window too high up for her to touch.

Toneri broke himself out of his thoughts when he realized that the girl had turned her gaze from the moon to him and was patiently waiting for an answer.

"No." He said after a moment of thought. "I believe I will be bitter that it had only lasted a moment and I will curse the world for making it that way."

The girl seemed to consider this and Toneri could feel her turning his words around in her five year old brain. After a while, she nodded in satisfaction, having accepted his answer, and hopped neatly off of the altar. The shine she had been giving off under the moonlight faded into an afterglow as she stepped away from the halo of light. She stopped at the edge of the raised platform and stared down at him.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Toneri finished the last stroke of the seal he had been drawing then put aside the ink and paintbrush, fanned the paper to dry, before he put that to the side as well. He flicked his finger and a puppet floated over, a tray balanced delicately on its hands. He made it place the food down onto the stone and gestured for the girl to eat.

"It is no problem." The girl tucked her white kimono neatly under her knees and sat down. Toneri pushed the tray towards her and the girl placed her hands together in prayer before she began to eat.

"How is the moon, Sakura-sama?"

Sakura paused in her eating to stare into his empty eye sockets. "It is very beautiful." She told him.

* * *

While Sakura was not allowed out, Toneri often stepped beyond the rocks. Sakura was curious, but she was used to this kind of confinement.

The Haruno clan had been located underground and children had not once stepped above.

Toneri would head out early in the morning and be back in time for lunch. The two of them would eat, before he took her into the deeper caves and they would come back after the sun had begun to set to eat dinner, before he would work on some seal or another while Sakura sat to bask in the moonlight.

Sakura enjoyed their ventures deeper into the caves. The moment light no longer became visible, the rocks would start to glow a blue green, and Sakura was sure that in the years to come, as the two of them put to motion their plan, she would witness many spectacular sights of the outside. However, nothing could beat the comfort brought by what represented the lives of the Haruno members and nothing could be brighter than the very lifeforce of the Haruno clan that had passed before her.

Her Inner let out a soft humm of satisfaction and Sakura instantly relaxed.

The bluegreen glow reflected off the surface of other rocks, casting a countless number of shadows onto the hard floor. Sakura turned to stare at Toneri, who showed no signs of being aware of her gaze. However, she did not doubt for a second that he hadn't noticed.

How the teen could move around without sight, she did not know. How he could bare to wander these sights without being able to appreciate any of it to its greatest, she could not fathom to think about.

A single path lead away from the altar space, but that soon branched off into several different paths, which then diverted into more further in. Sakura and Toneri, not even in their long years in these caves, had not explored all of them.

However, Sakura remembered the pathing of the corridors they had explored and she was not surprised when they came across a small clearing of rocks soon after they had set off. Toneri moved to stand opposite her and Sakura once again took in the beautiful glow of the rocks reflecting off the pale teen.

Toneri slowly raised a hand and a green sphere of pure chakra appeared in his hand. Sakura watched as the ball of energy transformed within itself.

"The Puppet-Cursing sphere." Toneri said. "It is a technique passed down through the Otsutsuki family, but was mainly used by the branch family in order to make up for our lack of sight."

"The basic form of all Otsutsuki techniques." Sakura stated, remembering what Toneri had told her.

Toneri nodded. "The Haruno are unknown and the Otsutsuki are not but a myth. You will use this technique as the passed down jutsu of the Haruno clan. It will be your selling point. From the way all shinobi are battle hungry and blood thirsty, they will take you in."

"Are we aiming for any village in particular?" Sakura asked. She raised her own hand and concentrated on summoning a sphere of her own.

"Konoha." Toneri told her. "The Hyuga reside there. You are still very young and your chakra is underdeveloped. While it is not ideal, being close to the Hyuga and their inferior descendant of the Otsutsuki chakra will aid you.

"What do we do if another village takes the bait first?" Sakura asked. A ball swirled to life, but it was simply sheer chakra forced into a sphere shape. She frowned and turned to inspect Toneri's Puppet-Cursing sphere again.

"I will take care of that." Toneri told her. "You do not have to worry." He stepped over to her to get a better feel of her chakra. "You are lacking intent." He said. "Control. The Puppet-Cursing sphere is the epitome of control."

Sakura thought of the puppets that took care of them, the ones Toneri had breathed life into through these spheres. "I know, I would never worry."

Toneri smiled at her.

* * *

It was by chance that Toneri came across a four man team of shinobi while he had been out resetting the protection seals in the area.

From chakra alone, he could tell that they were of high ranking, but he tossed his plan of laying low and letting them go when he felt the calling of a familiar chakra.

A little defective, perhaps, but familiar all the same.

It was a Hyuga.

Toneri did not remember much of his times with sights. After all, he had been only minutes born when his eyes had been taken from him. However, he knew of the powers of the Byakugan. How could he not?

The Byakugan was a necessary step in obtaining the Tenseigan. The Otsutsuki blood ran true through both of them. What they lacked was the eyes required to reach the point of awakening.

The mental evolution of the Haruno had cost them 360 vision a long time long ago and Toneri had no eyes.

He wanted those eyes so bad.

THe Hyuga had no doubt noticed his presence, and the rest of the team had already been told. Toneri knew that humans did not know the techniques of the Otsutsuki. He planted several Puppet-Cursing spheres in the area and then retreated. Instantly, the Konoha team moved after him.

The Hyuga may have had chakra vision, and he may have noticed the spheres, but it did not matter. Not when Toneri could control the spheres with a mere thought. The sphere spun and moved into position faster than anyone could imagine, and there was an explosion as they collectively exploded.

What caused the damage was not the actual explosion, but the burst of disruptive, raw chakra that came with it. Toneri did not even look back as he summoned a few puppets and sent them to collect the unconscious bodies. Their chakra systems should be haywire enough for them to be out for a while, and he would deal with them properly once back at the altar.

* * *

Sakura watched from a distance as Toneri worked a chakra blade over the face of the Hyuga. The other three had been killed immediately and their bodies had been piled in the cover to be disposed of later.

A few minutes later, he was holding up a jar of liquid with two iris-less eyes staring back at her. "Come here, Sakura-sama."

Sakura warily approached the teen and sat in front of him. "What are you going to do with that?"

"I am going to transplant them into you." Toneri said simply. He flicked his fingers. "Please lie down here."

"You take the eyes." Sakura said instantly. "I have eyes. You don't."

Toneri smiled. "This will allow you to develop the Tenseigan should the time come." He said. "I have come this long without sight. I can manage a few more years."

"You said Konoha was a village housing the Hyuga." Sakura pointed out. "Can you not take another pair?"

Toneri reached out and gently lay her down so that her head was resting on his lap. "I cannot take any unnecessary risks." He told her. "Besides, the Tenseigan are eyes of the Otsutsuki, before our chakra was corrupted by the constant use of it as a means of war and battle. As the heir, it is only right for you to regain it first."

 _'He is correct, Kura-chan.'_ Her Inner murmured. _'Take them.'_

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." Toneri's fingers gently caressed her cheek before she was lulled to sleep.

* * *

Toneri felt it when Sakura slowly stirred. It had been half an hour since the operation and he gently tapped her on the forehead. "Sakura-sama?"

The girl blinked and immediately, she let out a soft groan and her hand went to her face.

"How do you feel?"

Sakura blinked a few times and slowly sat up. "I feel fine." She pulsed chakra to her eyes and the reached for his hand and pressed it against the bulging veins on her face. "I can see perfectly fine."

"That is good." Toneri ruffled her hair and gestured to the river. "Go take a look."

Sakura scampered off to do just that. _'Your eyes are green, just like before.'_ Her Inner noted.

"My eyes are green when the Byakugan is inactive." Sakura reported. "Should they be?"

"It is certainly unheard of." Toneri said, a little surprised. "However, perhaps it has to do with your Otsutsuki chakra."

Sakura shrugged. "I guess we should not complain about something that could aid us." She returned to his side. "May we venture deeper, Toneri?" She asked. "Perhaps being able to see the chakra of your Puppet-Cursing sphere will help me to form mine."

Tonei was feeling a little tired after the delicate procedure of an eye transplant but nonetheless, he nodded. "Of course." He said, and pulled himself to feet.

* * *

The Hyuga hailed from Konohagakure, and Toneri did not doubt that the Hokage had noticed the lack of return of him and his team. It was with this knowledge that he finally decided to put their long awaited plan into motion.

"To them, you will be a girl, the head of your clan at the tender age of three, kidnapped straight after witnessing the tragedy that is the massacre of you clan. " He said slowly. "You lived here for the last two years of your life, given food and water but never being allowed to leave. I am the kidnapper and I am the murderer, but I never mistreated you to the point of you fearing for your life. The Konoha team will come, we will fight, and I will flee."

"Will you be fine with taking on an entire team by yourself?" Sakura asked. "The team with the Hyuga had four members. That hardly seems a fair fight."

Toneri chuckled. "I am an Otsutsuki, just like yourself." He said. "Humans will be no match for me. Not to mention, my aim is not to defeat them, but to let them rescue you."

Sakura eyed him uncertainty, and it was not because she doubted his skill, but out of genuine worry.

This was a what if situation. What if Toneri was hurt? What if they were figured out? What if she could not convince them well enough?

Toneri smiled and gently placed a hand on her head. "There is nothing to worry about." He told her gently. "The mind is the Haruno domain. There is nothing stating it is only one's own mind they rule over."

Sakura turned to him in wonder and her eyes went blank as she tuned in to the words within her mind. Toneri waited patiently as she conversed with her Inner and soon, she turned to completely face him. "I can do it." She told him.

Toneri smiled. "I know."

* * *

Sakura lay on the stone floor Toneri painted seals into her arm. The black stung a little as the ink sank into her skin but she stayed still the best she could.

"The Haruno compound, just like these caves, are rooted to the spirit of the Haruno." He explained. "These are the markings of a clan head. The Haruno compound is one with the clan. It is like an enormous puppet, if you will."

Sakura thought back to their previous clan head, the man who would have been her mentor had the Otsutsuki heir awakening not been during her generation. "Senri-sama could lock the doors with just a thought." She noted.

 _'That is the least of his powers.'_ Her Inner said. _'Senri-sama could do so much more.'_

"The compounded houses a Puppet-Cursing sphere planted here by the first Otsutsuki to branch off to form the Haruno clan." Toneri said. "The sphere was then fed the chakra of generation after generation of chakra by the members of the clan. Currently, it is at its most powerful."

"Because there will be no more Haruno's to help it grow." Sakura stated simply.

"You can fuel it." Toneri told her. "You are more Otsutsuki than any who have stepped foot within the compound walls. It will continue to develop for as long as you are alive." He made one final marking then drew back. "I have finished."

Sakura pulled her arm back and inspected the intricate design tattoos over the entirety of her left arm. There were several crescents and circles symbolizing the moon and Sakura traced the markings with her eyes. She could feel a connection between the seal and something a distance away. Her Inner confirmed this. _'I can feel it as well.'_

"Sakura-sama?" Toneri asked.

"It's beautiful." She said simply. "I can feel the link."

"I am glad." Toneri laughed. "I cannot exactly see, so I was worried I messed up. The ink contains chakra, though, and that aided me a little."

"It's very beautiful." Sakura repeated. "Thank you."

Toneri shook his head. "We have a long path ahead of us." He said. "One where I walk my path, and you walk yours. This is the least I can do to try and help you."

* * *

They were eating breakfast when someone triggered a dormant Puppet-Cursing sphere.

It did not explode, but its chakra absorbing nature channeled the chakra of those who passed straight to him.

Toneri looked up, because he had hid the general area around the cave with a very strong genjutsu, and this meant that the intruders had managed to dispel it. Gebjutsu may not be his forte, but the raw, natural state of his chakra made it easier to cast certain types of gebjutsu, especially that of blending into the environment.

Sakura instantly noticed his shift. "Is someone here?"

Toneri nodded. "Several kilometers." He said then added "-and rapidly approaching." when he felt another Puppet-Cursing sphere triggered a little closer to the cave.

"I guess this is it." Sakura placed her chopsticks down and gestured for a puppet to take away their trays. "Where will you be until 'time' comes?"

"Here and there." Toneri smiled. "I will come by if I ever have the chance."

They sat there in awkward silence for a while before Sakura neatly placed her hand in front of her and bowed. "Thank you for everything, Toneri."

Toneri was quick to follow. "It has been my pleasure. Thank you for your kind words."

"I await the day we meet again."

"Likewise. Please take care, Sakura-sama."

Sakura sat up and smiled. "You too."

Toneri rose to his feet and looked down at her. "I will always be with you."

Sakura nodded firmly. "I am ready."

Those words were meant for him, but they were also meant for her Inner.

Sakura's memories were now to be sealed deep within her mind until she passed the initial stages of convincing Konoha of her innocence and her ignorance. Her Inner would make sure to keep everything underwraps until it was safe for her to regain them.

When Sakura fell forward Toneri was ready and he gently caught the girl. He then lay her onto the floor and ran his fingers through her hair one more time before he stood up and took a deep breath. The intruders were very close and Toneri felt them trigger the last of the warning spheres. Any moment now, they would storm through the gates and taint these sacred grounds with their violent chakra and bloody stench.

But it was necessary. He glanced back down at Sakura who looked as though she was sleeping and would wake up any moment now to ask him if they could explore the caves, and plastered on a mask on cruel confidence. He sent his puppets to toss the bodies of the Hyuga and his team, which he had let solely for this purpose, by the door. Then he tucked the pinkette under his arm and drew a kunai.

When the gates were thrown open, he was ready for them.

* * *

 **So, here's chapter one~**

 _ **Darque: I've been thinking of doing this for a while, but I never really got around to it...**_

 **Raven: I know right? But now that we're here, hopefully we can add this into our update timetable.**

 _ **Darque: Time table? Hah. What timetable?**_

 **Raven: ...You get what I mean.**

 _ **Darque: Get what? I don't get.**_

 **Raven:...**

 _ **Darque: Anyways, hope you enjoy this one.**_

 **Read and Review~**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter TWO**_

Hatake Kakashi did not know what to expect when him and his team were called into the Hokage's office early one morning. He greeted Namikaze Minato on behalf of his team and dropped into a bow.

"I have a mission for you." Minato said. He turned to his desk and passed Kakashi a scroll. "There have been reports of a disturbance in the area near the River border." His eyes darkened and he linked his hands in front of his mouth. "A Jounin team sent on border patrol to that area has not returned. It's been three days since their departure. I want you to check it out. You leave at noon."

Kakashi recalled the rumors of Hyuga Tsumuji and his team not returning and bowed once again. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

* * *

ANBU Team Ro met up at the gates at exactly noon. They departed without words and Kakashi made a beeline towards the border between the Fire country and the River country. His team easily kept up with his rapid pace and it is rather soon when the terrain begins to change.

Uchiha Itachi momentarily break the formation to move up next to him. "Taicho, there are intricate layers of genjutsu laid across the entirely of the area before us." He reported.

Kakashi tensed and brought forth his own Sharingan to confirm what the Uchiha had said. "This is a very strong genjutsu."

Itachi nodded. "Strong as in undetectable." He said. "The genjutsu is so well blended into the environment and its natural chakra."

"It must be someone very skilled." Yamato noted.

Kakashi turned to their female teammate. "Yugao, keep an eye out for any presence. Report back if you sense anything,"

Uzuki Yugao nodded firmly. "Understood."

They travelled on for a little while longer before Itachi drew in a sharp breath. In the next instant, Kakashi himself noticed it. The mouth of a huge stone structure was hidden right before them, blended in perfectly with its surroundings to the point it could not be seen at all. He decided that the uneasy air surrounding them must be a genjutsu too, to keep people from accidentally wandering into the area.

"It's several layers of genjutsu used to hide a single object." Itachi said, and Kakashi could hear the cogs turning as theories flashed through his mind. "I have never seen it be used like this before."

"A genjutsu to hide the doorway, and then another to hide the genjutsu, then several more on top of that." Kakashi nodded. "Unheard of, but certainly very effective."

"The caster has no doubt noticed our presence." Yamato said. "If he's talking this many precautions to hide this location, I bet he would have some sort of sensor seal hidden somewhere."

"Regardless, this is proof that the caster has something to hide within these caves."

"There are two signatures from within." Yugao reported.

Kakashi straightened his mask and gestured for Itachi. "Break it."

Itachi raised a hand towards the empty space before them and the air seemed to ripple, and the scenery began to break and crack. Soon, they were standing at the mouth of the now visible cave. A set of manmade stairs lead downwards and at the bottom, they could see the beginning of a corridor.

Kakashi silently drew a blade. "Be ready." He ordered, then began to descend.

At the bottom, they found a double door. Kakashi threw them open. The ANBU streaked through the entrance and found themselves in a beautiful cave. The walls were highlighted blue green by what looked like light given off from the rocks themselves. There was a quiet sound of trickling water that came from a calm river that cut through the rock floor. In the center of the cave was an raised platform made of rock and a desk like structure that looked like a sacrifice altar.

Before it stood a young white haired teen clad in white robes and empty sockets that seemed to stare right through them. He had a kunai in his right hand and a bundle tucked under his other arm. Kakashi tensed when he realized that the bundle was the limp body of a child.

"Pink hair, around five." Yamato murmured. "It matches the description of the Haruno heir that went missing during the massacre two years ago."

Kakashi nodded slightly. Was this boy somehow related to that tragedy?

"Hello." The teen casually shifted his stance and used his weapon to point towards a corner of the cave. "Is that yours?"

Kakashi carefully glanced over and narrowed his eyes at the sight. Four dead bodies, that of the missing Jounin team, hung from the ceiling with what appeared to be chakra strings. The Hyuga was clearly missing eyes. The white haired teen's missing eyes flashed through his mind, but he put that aside for the moment as he turned back to face him.

"Do not come any closer." The teen warned.

"We are Konoha ANBU." Kakashi called out. "Put the weapon down and release the child."

"This one?" Toneri shook the bundle in his arms and there was a soft groan.

Kakashi made a few signs behind his back and in the next second, all four of them flashed away from their places.

Kakashi reappeared in front of the teen while Itachi appeared behind. The teen seemed unfazed by their appearance and neatly ducked Itachi's kick. He used the moment of the movement to deflect Kakashi's blow and then swiftly spun around to land a kick of his own on the twelve year old, who flew back with a surprised grunt. Kakashi noted the apparent strength behind the teen's attack and drew a kunai. The teen passed his weapon from his right hand to his left in order to block the attack with minimal movement. The blades clashed right beside the unconscious girl's ear.

In that instant, the girl's eyes flew open and she let out a scream. Her arms came up in an attempt to struggle away from the teen but his grip tightened, forcing the air out of her lungs and leaving her to struggle for breath. Kakashi realized that the strength the teen was using to push him back was causing this and pulled away. The girl went limp again as the teen relaxed as well.

Kakashi would have to admit, he was impressed. Whoever he was, this teen was able to hold back two ANBU level shinobi while carrying a now struggling girl. Still, that was not something he should be praising such a potentially dangerous enemy for.

Kakashi revealed his Sharingan just as Itachi activated his. They began to push the teen backwards, and he had no choice but to use both hands to defend against them. In that moment, Yugao appeared and snatched the girl from his loosened grasp. Yamato appeared to cover for her and she lunged the girl backwards and away from the immediate vicinity of the fight.

Kakashi and Itachi regrouped with them and Yugao nudged Itachi towards the girl before she stood to join the rest of the team with facing the teen.

The white haired boy clicked his tongue in annoyance and made a hand sign. In the next second, there was a surge of chakra and the sound of an explosion. The ceiling began to cave, raining debris and chunks of rock down towards them.

Immediately, Itachi threw himself over the girl as she let out a wail of fear. Yamato grew a wooden structure over them to protect them and a few seconds later, the sound of falling rocks and the shaking stopped. The wooden shield unraveled and Kakashi glanced around the clearing to note that the teen was nowhere to be seen.

"He isn't anywhere within my range." Yugao reported, confirming his thoughts.

Kakashi nodded, then turned towards the girl, who was clinging onto Itachi's uniform and glancing around widely with fearful green eyes. Her gaze finally landed on the four of them and she instantly let go and scrambled away, towards the altar. Kakashi let her hide in the shadows of the altar and after a while, she carefully peeked out at them. "Who are you?"

"We are ANBU from Konoha." Kakashi said. He thought for a moment, before he took off his mask. "We aren't going to hurt you."

The girl eyed them warily. "The white haired man. Do you know him?"

"We don't."

The girl narrowed her eyes before she slowly stood up to move to the front of the altar. "Well, he is not here anymore. What are you going to do now?"

Kakashi eyed the girl's shaking limbs and realized how thin they were. If he recalled, Itachi's younger brother was around the same age as the girl and the differences in the thickness of their wrists were slightly worrying. "You don't have to worry about him anymore." He said, trying to sound reassuring. "Can you tell us who you are and what happened here?'

"I...I am Haruno...Sakura." The girl said, confirming her identity as the missing Haruno heir. "The man brought me here a long time ago, after I came out of the cave."

"Cave?" Yugao asked. She, along with the rest of the team, had taken off their masks as well.

Sakura hesitated, but she nodded. "The Cave of Generations. The cave from which I emerged as heir."

Kakashi noted the girl's polite language. "What did you do while here?" He asked.

Sakura glanced down at her hands, which she hand clenched into her clothes. "I...I did not do much." She said after a while. "I cannot remember everything, but I think it has been a very long time since I have done anything else but eat and sleep."

"You don't have to worry anymore." Kakashi repeated. "Konoha will take you in."

"Konoha." Sakura said, softly, as though testing out the words. "It is...is..."

"A village." Kakashi said. "A Hidden Village."

Sakura nodded, but still did not seem to understand what he meant. "Okay." She stepped down from the platform and slowly made her away towards them.

"Yugao, will you take her?" Kakashi asked. The woman nodded. "We will return to Konoha and report to the Hokage." He told his team. "We will keep an eye out for the white haired teen."

"Will we head out now?" Itachi asked, tilted his head towards the sky. "It is soon sunset."

The girl's head snapped upwards and her eyes widened. "Sunset." She repeated. "The time of day when sunlight fades." Her tone softens and she closes her eyes. "I have never seen it before."

Yugao glances worryingly at the girl, then at Kakashi. "What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"As per clan traditions, all children are to remain within the compound until they are of age." Sakura said, almost as though she were reciting something. "Even after the ceremony, the only view of the outside I had was the hole in the ceiling that let in natural light. I have never seen the whole sky before. A cousin of mine once snuck out of the compound and upon his return, told me of the sky. He vanished a few days after and I never saw him again."

Shinobi clans had dark secrets, ones like the Hyuga and their binding seal. The Haruno clan were known to be even more secretive and in addition, was a clan of another village altogether. Kakashi decides to leave the questioning to a later date.

"Should we explore the cave?" Tenzo asked.

"I'd say there are no life forms here, but I can sense very faint chakra scattered all throughout the place." Yugao aid. "It's not an individual signature, it's almost like the entire cave, the rocks themselves, are radiating chakra."

Kakashi turned his focus to the closest glowing wall but he could not pick up on anything. It must be very faint.

"We can explore the immediate vicinity." He decided. "Sakura, do you know how deep these caves go?"

The pinkette shook her head. "The man went there sometimes." She said. "I do not know what he did in there, nor do I know where they lead. He left sometimes, but I believe there were wards around the altar to keep me from stepping off of the platform."

Kakashi nodded and accepted her answer. The teen had kept Sakura captive here for two years: it would be fair to assume that he had taken measures to make sure she could not escape.

"We'll scout the area before the sun goes down." He ordered. "We'll head back to Konoha tomorrow morning."

* * *

Sakura's first steps out of the cave were wobbly. Itachi noted the girl's lack of shoes and glanced around the terrain. For the moment travel would be made over grass, so it should not be too much of a problem. The forest would be slightly more unsafe for bare feet but Itachi assumed one of them would carry her through the trees. Kakashi had already sent a summon back to Konoha to request aid with the bodies of the Jounin team and they could afford slow travel.

"This is grass?" Sakura asked.

Itachi turned his gaze back to Sakura, who was carefully poking at the grass with her foot. "It is." If what she said was true and she had spent the first five years of her life underground, having something not cold stone under her feet must be an entirely new experience altogether.

That thought filled him with pity for her.

"It is...different." Sakura noted. "Ticklish, but not unpleasant."

Unsure of what to say, Itachi nodded. A few seconds later, Kakashi, Tenzo and Yugao appeared from the cave.

"We've sealed the cracks so they don't collapse." Yugao said. "We can go now."

Kakashi nodded. He eyed Sakura's curious prodding of the ground. "We'll walk for a while, and then you'll have to be carried, Sakura."

The girl looked up hesitantly but she nodded. "Okay."

There was no drastic change in the scenery on the way to the forest but to Sakura, everything was new. Itachi could tell she was trying her best to refrain herself but occasionally, she slowed to glance at one thing or another.

"I'm sorry." She murmured when they had paused for a break. "I-I have never seen.." .She glanced down and hesitantly bit into the ration bar offered to her

The children in her clan only ate rice, apparently.

"Everything is new to you." Yagao said gently. "Don't worry, we understand. It must be fascinating and overwhelming."

Sakura tightened her grip on the wrapping. "As a child, I did not know and as an awakened, I did not care. It is because I am now head." She said. "That is why curiosity is plaguing me."

Itachi glanes up to see his teammates sharing a look. What did she mean?

Kakashi asked just that.

Sakura hesitated but did not speak and Itachi understood. As a member of a clan, it was forbidden to share clan secrets and inner workings. However, now, Sakura was the clan head and even more. She was the last of her blood.

Sakura was the clan itself.

* * *

When they move onto the trees, Itachi offered his back to Sakura, expecting her to climb on just like Sasuke did, sometimes without invitation.

He paused when she did not. "Climb on." He said gently.

"Climb on?" Sakura repeated.

Itachi gestured for her to come closer and helped her place her legs around his waist then her arms around his neck. "Hold on." He said. "We will be moving much faster."

Despite the warning he had given her, when they began moving, Sakura still let out a gasp of surprise and tightened her grip around his neck. She looked up after a while, though, and she let out a soft gasp beside his ear. "Wow."

Itachi glanced up from the corner of his eye and watched the fascination run over the girl's face. "How is it?" He asked softly.

A strange look passed over her face as she paused in her rapid glancing around to look down at him. "It is beautiful." She said, and there was something a little off with her tone, but Itachi decided not to comment.

* * *

Team Ro and Sakura passed through the gates just as the sun was beginning to set. They immediately headed over to the Hokage Tower to hand in their report. Sakura, who had fallen asleep a little while ago, had woken up at the sudden commotion. Her head shot up and she glanced around rapidly, taking in the buildings and the people."What-"

"Welcome to Konoha." Itachi told her softly.

Sakura seemed to take in his words and slowly let them sink in. "Konoha." She repeated. "The Hidden Village of Leaf."

The Hokage let them in the moment they arrived.

Kakashi dropped into a bow and the team followed. Itachi gently placed Sakura on the ground and felt the girl quickly step behind him to hide as he lowered to the ground as well.

"Welcome back."

Kakashi stood up. "Team Ro has returned.

Namikaze Minato smiled. "Remove your mask, Kakashi, all of you."

Itachi felt Kakashi sigh but do as told. Itachi and the team followed suit. Their team leader then proceeded to give Minato a run through of their mission, starting with the chakra sensors and the illusion around the cave, then the Jounin team and the white haired teen, and finally, Haruno Sakura.

Itachi felt the girl tense at her name and he gently nudged her out from his shadow. Sakura stubbornly clung onto him for a few more seconds before she allowed herself to be moved forward. Minato's previously stern expression melted into a gentle smile. "Hello Sakura-chan." He greeted. "I'm Namikaze Minato, the Hokage."

Sakura eyed him for a while before she dropped into a unfamiliar, yet surprisingly humble and respectful bow. "Hokage-sama." She acknowledged. "I am Haruno Sakura."

Minato suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Uh, Sakura-chan-"

Sakura stood up and glanced gim over, like she was searching for something. "You are unlike Senri-sama." She finally decided. At the confused looks she received, she gave a shirt explanation. "Senri-sama was the head of the clan. He was my predecessor, my to be mentor." She smiled softly. "But I guess that is now but a tale of the past."

* * *

Minato asked Itachi and the Uchiha clan to take in the girl, at least for the first night, until arrangements could be made. He ordered the youngest member of Team Ro to bring in the girl tomorrow then dismissed them with the exception of Kakashi and, the moment they had all left, he turned to his student. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Kakashi nodded. He relayed the conversations they had had with Sakura, of the glimpses of her clan life and what she remembered of her time in the cave with the teen after its massacre. "There is something strange about the Haruno clan." He said. "Sakura implied things, but I cannot be sure unless she confirms it with her own words."

Minato nodded slowly and placed her head on his linked hands. "I will have Inoichi present tomorrow." He decided. "I don't want to do this to a girl, but-"

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "It is better to get it over with."

* * *

 **Here's chapter two~**

 _ **Darque: Like people have noticed, this will take a slightly less humorous/light route through the story.**_

 **Raven: We'll be taking a similar pathing to the original, though, so...I guess you could look forward to that?**

 _ **Darque; Yeah.**_

 **Raven: Uh...yeah, then.**

 **Read and Review~**

* * *

 **Dear Readers,**

 **Happy New Year~ (A little too early, or a little too late, maybe.)**

 **Thank you for everything up to this point, and we hope you continue to support us throughout 2018.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Darque and Raven.**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter THREE**_

The roads of the village were mostly smooth but Itachi worried of the bits of rubbish, maybe something like broken glass, and continued to carry Sakura. However, as he had expected, the presence of a ping haired girl on his back attracted more attention than when he usually walked the streets by himself and he took to the roofs not soon after. Sakura did not complain as the views of the markets and the villagers changed to that of rooftops and the sky.

"It is so...big." She said, eyes wide. "My compound had always appeared big to me, and the caves felt almost endless. I did not expect so much more beyond the rocks."

"There is even more beyond these walls." He told her quietly.

"I can only imagine." Sakura's eyes landed on the Hokage Mountain. "What is that?" She asked. "The one at the end is the Hokage."

"Those are the past Hokage of Konoha." He explained. "The Hokage is the leader of the village, the head of a huge clan, if you will, and that role is passed down by one Hokage to the next. Minato is the Fourth."

Sakura, who had been frowning at the beginning, nodded as he related the terms to roles within a clan. "I see."

He traveled on at a slower pace than usual to allow the girl to take in the village. "My village was Kirigakure. I know that much." She said after a while. "I have never been outside to see this village, though, so I have nothing to reference from." She glanced down at him. "My compound was located underground. The Moon empowers us. Children not of age are to be kept pure from the lures of the lunar light. Yet, all I can see from here are rooftops and buildings."

"I believe that is a tradition special to your clan." Itachi said.

Sakura hummed and turned back to the sights.

It did not take them long to arrive at the Uchiha compound. Itachi landed before the gates and nodded curtly at the guards stationed there before he swept past them. Sakura tightened her grip around his neck as the guards eyed her for a brief second but she did not duck her head to hide like she had before.

Itachi entered his house and gently lowered Sakura onto the wooden floors before he closed the doors. "Kaa-sama, I have returned."

There is a shuffle of clothes and Uchiha Mikoto appeared at the end of the corridor. "Welcome home, Itachi-kun." Her eyes then landed on Sakura, who had stiffened at the new arrival. "Hello, you must be Sakura-chan. Minato-kun has sent us word about you. You are welcome to stay for as long as you need."

The girl glanced over at Itachi before she nodded in response. "Yes. I am grateful for your hospitality." She bowed.

Itachi noted that isolated or not, Sakura had her fair share of clan upbringing within her.

"Itachi-kun, will you go pick up Sasuke-chan?" Mikoto asked. "He's at the playground with Naruto-chan."

Sakura perked at the new words and Itachi hid a smile as he nodded. "Of course."

The pinkette whipped around to look at him and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she slumped a little and glanced down at her hands.

"I will return in a bit." Itachi said gently.

Mikoto nodded. "Come, Sakura-chan, let me fix you something to eat. How does dorayaki sound?"

Sakura took a deep breath and when she looked up again, there is a polite smile plastered onto her face and her previous nervousness at being left alone is no longer visible. "Food does sound nice. What is dorayaki?"

Itachi remembered how Sakura had only ever eaten rice and he recalls thinking how that could not have been very good for a young child. Her question was innocent enough, but Itachi felt his mother's disapproving frown even as he turned back towards the door as her motherly instincts acted up. "Dorayaki is a snack." She told her gently. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Sakura nodded politely and, after waving shyly at him, allowed the Uchiha matriarch lead her deeper into the compound.

* * *

"Nii-san!"

Itachi found himself smiling at the familiar and welcoming call of his younger brother.

Uchiha Sasuke stopped whatever he had been doing and darted over towards him. Namikaze Naruto was quick to follow and the two stopped in front of him. "You're back!"

"Hi Itachi-teme." Naruto grinned up at him.

"How was your mission, nii-san?" Sasuke asked. "You're not hurt? Did you go to the hospital?"

"Hello, Otouto, Naruto-kun." Itachi crouched down in front of them and reached out to rub a smudge of dirt from his brother's cheek. "My mission was fine and no, I am not hurt, and therefore have no reason to go to the hospital." He smiled. Mother wants you home now." He said. "Naruto-kun, you should head home as well; it will get dark very soon."

Naruto pouted at this but nodded. He and Sasuke scowled at each other before quietly saying their goodbyes. Naruto darted off and the moment the blond was out of sight, Sasuke reached up towards him. Itachi turned around and allowed his brother to clamber onto his back, just as he had with Sakura earlier that day. He jumped onto the first roof he came across and Sasuke let out a soft cheer.

"Otouto." He called, then continued when he was sure he had Sasuke's attention. "We have a guest today at the compound." He said. "She is a girl, a victim of my most recent mission. I want you to be kind to her, okay? Can you promise me that?"

Sasuke's face scrunched up as he thought about it for a while before he nodded. "Okay, I promise."

* * *

Sasuke was quick to run to the door and throw it open the moment Itachi set him down outside their house. "I'm home!" He kicked off his shoes and grinned when Mikoto once again appeared at the doorway.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-chan, did you have fun?"  
Sasuke nodded enthusiastically. "The Dobe and I had a sandcastle building competition. Of course, mine was better-"

Itachi smiled softly and straightened his brother's shoes before he took off his own and slowly following. He heard Sasuke's voice abruptly cut off and entered the room just in time to see Sakura looking up from a book she had been holding upside down and Sasuke eyeing her curiously.

Mikoto patted Sasuke's head. "Sasuke-chan, this is Sakura-chan. She'll be with us for a while. Sakura-chan, this is Sasuke-chan."

Sakura blinked before her face melted into a smile. "Hello, I am Sakura, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Itachi saw Sasuke frown at the words suddenly thrown at him but his brother managed to nod stiffly. "I'm Sasuke."

Mikoto smiled gently and nudged her son towards the girl. "Why don't you wait here." She asked. "I'll get you some snacks too. You too, Itachi-kun."

Mikoto walked off towards the kitchen and Sakura stared at Sasuke for a second longer before she turned back to her book.

Itachi opened his mouth to tell her just that, realizing with a pang that this must be the first time the girl had ever touched a book. Was she kept from literature as well? Did that mean she could not read?

However, his brother beat him to it. "You're holding that upside down." Sasuke said, frowning.

Sakura glanced up again and lifted her book a little more before she stiffly flipped it around. "I see." She scowled at the pages again. "What is this supposed to be?" She asked.

"You don't know how to read?" Sasuke asked, tone a little indignant.

"Sasuke." Itachi said in a warning tone.

Sasuke blinked as though he had remembered what he had promised to do earlier and glanced down guiltily. "Even the Dobe can read." He muttered. "We look the same age. How can she not read?"

Itachi furrowed his brows just a little as he noted how he could not fully fault his brother from reacting the way he had. Sakura's situation was very unusual, after all.

Sakura watched the two of them and for a while before she patted the spot beside her on the couch. "I take you know how to read, Sasuke-san?" She asked. "Could you teach me?"

Itachi turned to the girl in surprise even as Sasuke's expression brightened and he marched over to sit beside the girl.

It wasn't every day he met little girls who could read the atmosphere and improve the mood of upset little boys.

Not that he'd know, really.

* * *

Sitting beside his brother and patiently listening as the boy rambled on, wanting to show off everything he knew, Itachi saw another side of the girl, a side unlike the frightened girl cowering behind the altar or the innocent politeness shows to the Hokage and his mother. Here was a girl who was playing Sasuke's boyish feelings and emotions to her advantage.

She was still young, probably the same age as his brother or even younger, but she was good. Not good enough that he did not notice, but too good for a normal girl her age.

It was a little adorable, though, as he watched Sasuke blush uncontrollably as Sakura chattered on to match his rambling as they went through the book, so he did not say anything.

Still, the Haruno were an unknown clan but if the Uchiha were their fire, genjutsu and Sharingan and the Hyuuga were their unique taijutsu and the Byakugan that allowed them this fighting style, the Haruno's were their mind. Itachi recalled stories from the war presenting them as a clan of shinobi that fought not for their village, but because their clan head had ordered them to.

They were renown to be a clan of fighters with glowing white hair that seemed to absorb the blood of their enemies spilt and eyes as blank as the abyss of death they pushed their opponents into, willing to continue fighting until their last breath, as though they could not feel pain. He had heard stories of how white haired shinobi donning the Kirigakure symbol over their foreheads as nothing more than accessories continuing to fight even if their limbs had been torn off, or is a chunk of their arm was missing, or a huge piece of broken bone was sticking right out of their chest.

A clan of monsters, some had said, voices hidden behind others also drowning their losses in alcohol, too gone for the night to even remember this admittance the next morning.

There were rumours, of course, of what may be the kekkei genkai of the Haruno clan. Perhaps they really could not feel pain, perhaps they could simply ignore it. All in all, they were, or had been, a clan of shinobi who did not die until they were dead, who lived in a system of their own.

It was a mystery, how apparently, a single teen had killed off an entire clan seemingly born to fight.

Itachi watched over them until Mikoto wandered over call them for dinner.

* * *

Itachi sensed how Uchiha Fugaku returned home and immediately sat down at the dining table. It was not much longer until Itachi and Sasuke entered the room with Sakura trailing behind them.

Sakura froze as her eyes landed on Fugaku, before she stepped away from him and Sasuke. Her left hand was fisted and held up sideways against her chest. Her right arm then came up and she wrapped her hand around her closed fist. "Uchiha Fugaku-san." She said. "I am Haruno Sakura. I am grateful for you accepting my stay over at your compound." Gone from her eyes are the bright glow that she had showered Sasuke with in order to improve his mood. Instead, there was an unreadable mask of blankness now in place.

Fugaku returned the girl's gaze and he nodded once, firmly. "Haruno-san."

"Please, call me Sakura."

Fugaku nodded once again but the request was not returned as he gestured towards the chairs. Still, Sakura did not seem to mind. Instead, she briefly dipped her head, not a full bow of respect but one of acknowledgement, and she sat at the table.

This was the housing of the head of the Haruno clan by the Uchiha, Itachi realized. The Hokage was attempting to tie down the girl for regardless of isolation, the Haruo had been a huge fighting force for the Hidden Mist during the War. If her alive status spread, Kiri would no doubt attempt to take her back,even if she were the only one of her clan left. Still, Sakura was already outside their clutches and she was now the clan head. In a clan that appeared so tight bound and secretive, the clan head probably had huge power over its members. If Sakura chose to make Konoha her new settling spot, nothing much could stop her, especially because her clan was no more and Kiri could not go to war for a single girl.

However, Itachi also knew that Sakura, even at her young age, seemed fully aware of the play of politics. A child like her did not much of a choice in this matter, and it might have been foolish to give a girl his brother's age so much credit, but Itachi had a funny feeling that she was letting it happen.

* * *

The next day, Sakura was escorted to the hokage's office by a messenger sent to fetch her. Itachi accompanied her and once they had arrived, Sakura was asked to sit and wait in a room set up for this occasion.

Itachi went to the Hokage's office to report the girl's actions in his home to him.

The Hokage took this all in and just as he was finishing off, there was a knock at the door. Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi entered the room. "Hokage-sama."

Minato smiled. "Thank you for coming."

"Morino-san, Yamanaka-san." Itachi greeted, hiding his confusion.

"Good morning Itachi-kun." Inoichi smiled at him while Ibiki nodded in his direction.

"The girl?" Ibiki asked.

"She is in the guest meeting room." Minato said, then turned to Itachi. "This is a precaution, Itachi-kun." He said reassuringly. "The Haruno were a mysterious clan and we need to see if Sakura-chan knows anything at all about what led to its massacre. She's a little girl, so maybe the T&I building would be a little too much."

Ibiki sighed and closed his eyes while Inoichi seemed to agree with Minato. Itachi internally did too; she might be a little strange, but Sakura did not seem like a bad person.

Itachi was then allowed to follow the adults into the meeting room. Inoichi and Ibiki sat down opposite to Sakura, who had been patiently waiting. Minato sat a little further away and Itachi was gestured to join him. He took a seat and turned towards the interrogation.

The questions always started easy.

"What is your name?" Ibiki asked. Beside him, Inoichi had a pen in hand, ready to scribble down information onto the board in front of him.

"Currently Haruno Sakura."

"Currently?" Ibiki asked.

Sakura nodded. "The clan heir receives a new name as a sign of rebirth as they cast aside their previous identity. However, due to the massacre, my clan head, who should have bestowed upon me a new identity, died before he could and thus, I am still Sakura."

Ibiki nodded in understanding. "I see. Age?"

"Thirty six moons dormant and from what I've gathered, twenty four moons awakened, and that makes a total of sixty moons of age."

Ibiki paused to look at her. "What?"

Sakura frowned. "I spent thirty six moons living with the clan and then the next twenty four with the man in the cave, that makes a total of-"

"That's not what I'm asking." Ibiki said. "Can you talk in years?"

"Years?" Sakura repeated.

"How long is a moon, Sakura-chan?" Inoichi asked. He shot Ibiki a subtle glare.

"A moon is a single lunar rotation." She explained. "That is how age is calculated in my clan."

"So twelve moons will be a year. She's five." Inoichi murmured, scribbling away.

"What about birthday?" Ibiki asked.

"Birthday?" Sakura asked. "Date of birth?"

Ibiki's eye twitched in annoyance."Yes."

"We are not given such labels in my clan. Everyone born in the same moon is one moon old when the next lunar rotation starts."

"I'll just put down March." Inoichi said, probably having done the math.

Then the questions begin to shift.

"Do you remember anything about the night of the massacre?"

Itachi winced at the blunt question but Sakura did not seem to mind. "No, I cannot say I do." She said slowly. "It was the night of a sacred ceremony within my clan. I was not aware of the attack until it was over."  
"Ceremony?"

Sakura nodded. "My clan holds a Ceremony of Choosing in order to decide the next heir to the clan." She said. "This is a special ceremony where only children are accepted entry while the adults are to wait outside. When I stepped outside the site of the ceremony, everyone was already dead."

"And you saw the white haired teen there?"

Sakura nodded again. "He reached out for me. He knew my name. He...he called me..." She trailed off, growing. "He reached out for me and said something." She finally said. "I cannot remember everything exactly.

"Do you know his name? Did this teen do anything to you in the cave?"

"I do not think I know his name." Sakura said. "He held me in a cave with sacrifice altar. There was something that kept me from walking off the platform. He had puppets under his command and he left for hours everyday, either outside or deeper into the caves. He never told me what he wanted, or what he was doing."

Ibiki glanced over at Inoichi, then at Minato. They had learnt virtually nothing. Minato nodded.

"Sakura-chan, I'm from a clan that specializes in mind reading." Inoichi said gently. "Is it okay for me to look into your mind for your memories of the teen?"

Sakura eyed the man and slowly nodded her head. "Okay."

* * *

"Welcome to our strong hold and our prison, to our heaven and our hell. Welcome to our mind, shinobi."

* * *

 **So, here's chapter three~**

 _ **Darque: So, we're kinda spamming updates for this one.**_

 **Raven: It's a little behind in comparison to the progress fo the others, so maybe it's that?**

 _ **Darque: Maybe. Anyways,**_ _ **more changes.**_

 **Raven: Of course, if we didn't change anything, there'd be no point in rewriting.**

 _ **Darque: That is true.**_

 **Raven: Here, Sakura will be smarter, and she will act smarter too. Once Sakura's memories and unblocked, she'll have a firmer mind set on what she and Toneri are trying to do.**

 _ **Darque: But half the story is Sakura's change over time, so expect lots of mental battles.**_

 **Raven: What's the other half?**

 _ **Darque: The other half is Sakura's hidden desire to chop up non-believers with her scythe.**_

 **Raven:...You're in the wrong story, Dar.**

 **Darque: :)**

 **Read and Review~**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter FOUR**_

 _Inoichi opened his eyes to a to a world of black. He blinked a few times, trying to catch a glimpse of something, anything when a voice made him freeze._

 _"Hello."_

 _Inoichi whipped around and suddenly noticed that a light had appeared out of nowhere, illuminating a girl standing here. Around her, though, was still darkness. He instantly recognized Sakura and tensed, for this was unlike anything he had experienced. He then saw something on her forehead. "Inner..."_

 _The Sakura clone laughed and skipped over to him. "That's right, I'm an Inner Spirit. I am what everyone calls the Haruno Kekkei Genkai."_

 _"Inner Spirit?"_

 _Inner Sakura nodded, and unlike her outer self, did not appear to have any qualms about talking about her clan's techniques. "I'm a second presence that exists in Sakura's head. I protect her mind from anything that may harm her. The existence of the Inner Spirits is what makes the Haruno so formidable in battle."_

 _"You can block pain?" Inoichi guessed. "Guilt? Fear?"_

 _"Aren't you a smart one, eh, human?"_

 _Inoichi did not say anything as the girl skipped over. "You want memories, yes?" She asked. "I can file them up for you, neatly, one at a time. Which one do you want?"_

* * *

 _Inoichi soon found himself standing in outside the mouth of a cave. Beside him stood a group of people, all white haired apart from one, a man, who had pink hair. He watched the man give a speech about the moon and the cycle of life before the children were ushered into the cave._

 _Unlike the children, who showed signs of confusion and excitement, the adults showed no emotion._

 _"The Inners awaken only under certain circumstances." Inner Sakura said. "Childhood is the only time the Harunos are free of emotional shackles."_

 _"You call absolute control, the ideal form of a shinobi, to be a shackle?" Inoichi asked. He didn't know what to think of the fact that he was having a philosophical talk with the mental being of a girl who was only five. If things had been just a little different, it would be like talking to a kid's illusionary friend. He shook off the thought._

 _"The Harunos cannot control how much of their emotions are erased." Inner Sakura said. "Once their Inners awaken, they can no longer feel."_  
 _"Sakura looks like she has emotions," Inoichi said. Admittedly, not as much as normal children in Konoha had, but she seemed plenty capable of showing emotion._

 _"Sakura will get better as time goes by." Inner Sakura sounded a little proud. "The clan head alone holds the keys to the shackles, and she can unlock these chains whenever she wishes to."_

 _"Does the death of the rest of the clan automatically make her head?"_

 _Inner Sakura laughed. "It's not as simple as it seems." She said. "Sakura survived the massacre for a reason. She emerged as clan heir and after the death of the former head, she is clan head. The will of the Moon protected her."_

 _"Emerged as clan-" The ground began to shake and Inoichi cut himself off and turned back to the cave just as the entrance was being closed off. Inner Sakura snapped her fingers and suddenly, the two of them were inside the cave._

 _A breath left Inoichi as he inspected his surroundings. The rocks around him had glowing splotches of blue and green crystals growing out of the surface and they released enough to light to eliminate the otherwise dark cave._

 _"It's beautiful, isn't it." Inner Sakura asked. "It's the glow of life."_

 _Before Inoichi could ask what she meant, the scene before him once again changed. Images flashed before his eyes. Children huddled together by the rocks when suddenly, one was sprouting a blue, glowing horn made purely of chakra and turning onto the other with a feral screech. Blood splattered the cave floor and the child, a small boy, let the other, a small girl, fall limply onto the floor, her chest a bloody mess from where the boy had attempted to tear out her organs._

 _Then came the screams, abruptly cut short, as more horns began to sprout._

 _"What is this?" Inoichi demanded. He knew he was in Sakura's mind, he knew that, but he couldn't help but step to the side when a feral child jumped through the air and landed on the back of another child, who had been attempting to crawl away._

 _"The ferals are those who failed to Awaken. That was called a Lost Awakening."_

 _Inochi watched two children try to claw each other's eyes out with curled fingers when another pair barreled into them, having knocked each other off their feet. "You called this the Ceremony of Choosing?"_

 _"Yes." Inner Sakura was practically glowing. "Here, children can bring forth their true strength. They are yet to be tainted by the way of the shinobi. They had yet to receive any shinobi training. They are not taught anything apart from clan tradition. They cannot fight, they cannot read, they cannot write. Down here, what determines the fights is their inner strength." She spun around and smiled innocently, and Inoichi was reminded with a jolt of his own daughter. "I kept Sakura alive. I protected her. They are dead. Sakura is alive. This shows that I was the most superior."_

 _Behind them, the scene changed. The ground was now littered by the bodies of children and the floor was slick with blood. Amongst those still alive, Inoichi spied a child with two horns instead of one sprouting from his head. This child was unlike those with only one horn. He appeared calm and controlled, and he easily knocked aside the feral children without so much as a blink._

 _"That's a successful Awakening." Inner Sakura said. "Two horns are an epitome of success, but it didn't matter, not really. Sakura had the blessing of the Moon. The path of the Moon is set in stone for us. Our fate was set in stone long before anyone stepped into these caves."_

 _There was a sudden chill and Inoichi knew what he would see if he turned around. Still, he did, and he caught sight of Sakura stepping out of the shadows, eyes glowing and chakra horns sprouting proudly from her head._

 _"She has white hair." He noted._

 _"Yes, the hair is symbolistic too." Inner Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "You know what happened from here."_

 _The scene changed again and Inoichi turned to the sound of huge rock blocking the cave opening moving to the side. The gentle moonlight from outside was still such a contrast to the darkness of the caves and Inochi blinked a few times. Soft footsteps echoed throughout the cave and Sakura slowly padded towards the exit. The girl's white clan robes were almost clean of blood but Sakura's hands looked like they were donning crimson gloves. Her eyes were still glowing and her chakra horns almost looked as though they were hardening into real bone. The light reflected off of Sakura's hair, which was now pink._

 _"The clan is the clan head, and the clan head is the clan." Inner Sakura said softly. "The hair is a symbol and a reminder of those who paved the path for the head. Sakura will forever carry the reminder of those whose blood she spilt in order to clamber up to her rightful place."_

 _Inoichi did not say anything and watched Sakura step out of the puddle of blood inside the cave, only to step into another moments later. The girl paused and slowly glanced down. Her eyes followed the trail of blood and landed on the pile of her dead clansmen lying at the feet of a white haired teen._

 _Inochi did not remember this particular face from earlier and gauged that this was the mysterious teen Kakashi and his team had encountered._

 _He leaned in, trying to pick up something, anything, when suddenly, the scene before his eyes began to blur. "What?"_

 _Before him, the scene continued to play on. "What is your name, girl?"_

 _"I am...Sakura."_

 _The scene faded away._

 _"His name was Toneri, and he took us, simple as that." Inner Sakura said, and her expression was unlike anything Inochi had seen on her face before. "My job is to protect Sakura, and I knew this teen was not someone we could mess with. He took us, and I let him. The massacre of the clan, arriving in Konoha, everything is set in stone on the path of the Moon, and he was merely a part of it all."_

 _With that, Inoichi was booted, rather ungracefully, from Sakura's mind._

* * *

Sakura slumped over in her chair soon after Inoichi began. Itachi gently laid the girl down on the table and they sat in silence as they waited.

Twenty or so minutes later, Inochi sat up with a jolt. Sakura remained motionless.

"What did you find?" Minato asked.

Inochi told them of what had occurred within the girl's mind. He told them of Inner Sakura and of the Haruno clan. He relayed what the Ceremony of Choosing was and what he had witnessed within the caves. He then covered the brutal end of the Haruno clan save for a single girl and the name of the teen who had committed the massacre.

"Toneri," Itachi whispered. It was an unusual name but he had a feeling it suited the mysterious air the teen the seemed to emit.

"I was booted shortly after Toneri appeared." He said. "I do not know if it was Inner Sakura or something else."

"This Inner Sakura, she cooperated?" Ibiki asked.

Inoichi nodded slowly. "Mostly." He said. "Inner Sakura told me she puts Sakura's safety and protection above all else. I believe as long as we guarantee her protection, she will not interfere."

"What now, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked softly.

Minato frowned. "We will keep Sakura at the Uchiha compound." He said. "We will keep an eye on her for a while longer. For now, we will keep an eye out for Toneri."

* * *

 _Inner Sakura let out a laugh as she pranced through the landscape. Around her, the scene changed with each step. One second, it was a forest, next it was a lake. Finally, the scene stopped in a cave similar to the one of the ceremony._

 _"Humans are truly stupid, aren't they, Kura-chan?"_

 _There was no reply, but Inner was not surprised, not with the way Sakura's body was encased within a huge crystal of solid chakra. Inner Sakura skipped over and placed a hand over where the girl's heart was._

 _"I've done what I can. The stage is now yours." A sphere of glowing chakra appeared in Inner Sakura's hands. She released it and the chakra moved towards the crystal. Upon contact, there was a flare of light and the chakra was absorbed into the structure._

 _"Wake up, Kura-chan."_

* * *

Toneri stood on his perch, concealed by the shadows and a faint notice me not genjutsu. The huge flare of Otsutsuki chakra called out to him and he could feel the tug towards a huge shinobi clan compound located at the border of the village.

Still, Toneri remained where he was. He spread his arms and let himself simply feel. Then it was gone and he was turning towards the other huge shinobi compound in the area.

Toneri had spent a lot of time setting up everything and the next step was to check up on a seed he had planted years ago.

The Otsutsuki chakra was pure and was almost impossible to sense unless one was an Otsutsuki.

He wanted to give Sakura an ally, someone who would not betray her.

He arrived at the Hyuuga compound and found his little side project going through a series of kata, just like he knew he would be.

The Caged Bird Curse Seal was similar to a seal used by the Otsutsuki main house a long time ago, before the branch family had broken away, and he knew how it worked. It hadn't been altered by a lot and still reacted well to his chakra, and an interference in the binding was nothing too difficult.

Hyuuga Neji was bound not to the Hyuuga clan, but to Otsutsuki Sakura himself.

* * *

Memories flooded through Sakura's mind with the ferocity of a broken dam. Everything she had temporarily forgotten returned, merging with the memories of her time in Konoha and expanding within her mind.

It hurt.

Sakura could hear her Inner whispering words of comfort to her but with her new freedom as the clan head, the suppression of pain was no longer a natural reaction but a reactional one, and Sakura found herself unable to pull herself together enough to command herself to let go of the pain.

She felt her throat contort in a scream but she could not hear anything. She could hear footsteps and voices, but all she could see was her time within the caves with Toneri, before everything had started. She saw the bodies of her clansmen and could hear someone whispering to her, over and over again, of her role as the last Haruno and the Otsutsuki clan head.

She was Haruno Otsutsuki Sakura. She was one of two Otsutsuki left, and she had a role to play within this cruel, twisted world warped by the selfishness of humans and it was her duty, as a member of the clan who had gifted humans the weapon to kill, to fix it all.

* * *

It was a scream that forced Itachi out of his much needed sleep. He shot up into a sitting position, mind clouded momentarily with sleep. He quickly looked out the window, noting that is was probably around three. Then he was wide awake and shooting out of his room. He didn't see anyone in the corridor, but he could sense the awake chakra of his parents. His brother was slowly stirring as well. He darted across to the room opposite his, Sakura's room, as well as the source of the scream, and flung the door open.

The girl was curled up on her bed in a fetal position. Another scream was wrenched out of the girl and Itachi quickly approached her. He realized that her chakra signal was going haywire and shook her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. Tears ran down her cheeks and her hands were clenched, nails digging into her palms. Itachi quickly uncurled her fingers when he realized that she was drawing blood.

"What's going on?" Mikoto appeared at the entrance of the room, eyes widening at the sight of Sakura. She quickly darted in.

"I tried to wake her, but..." Itachi trailed off, not knowing what to do in these kinds of situations.

Mikoto gently shoved Itachi out of the way and shook the girl. "Sakura-chan, wake up."

Sakura flinched away, arms moving to wrap around herself. "Senri...sama." She gasped out.

"Sakura-chan!" Mikoto desperately shook the girl.

"Kaa-san?" Sasuke stood at the entrance, rubbing his eyes. He blinked at the scene of Itachi and his mother hovering over Sakura and quickly stepped into the room. "What's going on?"

"Nightmare."

Sakura let out another scream, this one muffled by her arms.

"Sakura!" Itachi roughly shook her. The girl shook his hand off. Itachi rolled her over onto her back and inwardly flinched. Her eyes had blinked open, but they didn't seem to be looking at anything. Itachi then noticed that in the dim light of the room, Sakura's eyes were glowing.

"Her eyes..."

"Sakura?"

Said girl slowly blinked, each time her eyes returned to normal. "Ita...chi-san? Mikoto...san?"

Mikoto wrapped the girl in a hug." Oh, I was so worried! What happened?"

Sakura whimpered, burying deeper into Mikoto's warmth.

"I do not know." She cried. "It hurts."

Mikoto patted her head gently, and Sakura looked up. She then turned towards the door, catching sight of Sasuke. She froze. "Indra...?"

Mikoto and Itachi glanced at each other. Why had Sakura muttered the name of their ancestor?

"No..." Another wave of tears flooded out of Sakura's now normal green eyes. The broken cry forced Itachi to remember that despite the air this girl let out and the Kekkei Genkai that allowed her to appear calm and collected under most situations, she was just a girl, barely his brother's age.

Mikoto nodded at Itachi, wordlessly telling him to leave Sakura with her. Itachi grasped Sasuke's shoulder and nudged him out of the room. He closed the door behind him.

"Why was she crying?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Itachi sighed. "I do not know. However, if I have to guess, it is probably about her clan." He thought back to the name she had gasped out. Haruno Senri had been the previous head of the Haruno clan. Inoichi's digging around had probably reminded her of something.

"Her clan?"

Itachi nodded. "Sakura's clan was killed by an unknown person a few years ago." He explained gently.

"Oh," Sasuke mumbled. "Could she not read because her clan is dead and no one could teach her?"

Itachi smiled faintly and crouched down so that he could look Sasuke in the eye. "Well, not really." He said. "Sakura's clan has a tradition, and that tradition demanded all children below the age of six to not be taught anything apart from clan related things."

"Anything?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi nodded. "Children under the age of six were not allowed outside the compound. Their compound was underground, and so, all children under the age of six have never stepped foot outside their compound." He paused. "Apart from the clan heir. The clan heir is taken in by the head, and then taught everything the head knows. However, Sakura's head passed away soon after she was chosen as heir..."

"Oh."

Itachi nodded. "It's very late." Or very early, depending on the way you look at it. "So why don't you go back to sleep?"

Sasuke nodded, yawning. "I'm going to bring Sakura to the park tomorrow." He mumbled. "And I'll introduce her to Naruto. And we can play catch."

Itachi smiled. "That is a good idea."

* * *

 **So, here's chapter five~**

 **The last bit was taken mostly from the original version...ye, just saying.**

 _ **Darque: MY MOCK EXAMS ARE DONNNENNNNNNEEEEEEEEE.**_

 **Raven: That's good to know.**

 _ **Darque: Yup! I'm sooo happy. I failed all of them, I'm sure, but that's the price that comes with freedom.**_

 **Raven: Freedom?**

 _ **Darque: The freedom from the shackles of stress that comes with studying. By not studying, I was able to free myself from this burden.**_

 **Raven: Can't you free yourself from failure?**

 _ **Darque: Pah, that's a small price to pay. FREEEEDOOOMMMMMM~~~~**_

 **Read and Review~**


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter FIVE_**

Itachi was given the next day off, for he had a mission the following day. Fugaku left to do duties the moment breakfast was finished and Mikoto hurried off to do the dishes, leaving Itachi to look after his brother and Sakura.

Usually, the girl was quick to hurry off to continue reading whatever book she had gotten her hands on, but today, she remained where she was seated. She appeared to drift from reality into her mind and back even as she sat completely did not seem to notice anything different. "Uh, Sa-Sakura?"

The girl did not respond.

Sasuke frowned. "Sakura?"

The girl stiffened and quickly looked up. "Yes?"

Sasuke fisted hands into his shirt and glanced down nervously. "Would-would you like to go to the park with me?"

Sakura stared at the boy. Her eyes were blank, telling Itachi that the girl had retreated back into her mind. However this time, she was quick to snap back. "What is a park?"  
Sasuke uncertainly glanced over at him and Itachi smiled encouragingly. "It's a place you play." His brother said. "A public area where we can play."

Sakura seemed to consider this for a while, before she nodded. "Okay."

Sasuke brightened and jumped off his chair. "Great! Let's go, then. The Dobe's probably already there."

Sakura followed the boy as he rushed up towards his room. Itachi sighed and got to his feet considerably more calmly. "We will be going out." He called out.

Mikoto stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Be careful, have fun!"

* * *

Sakura watched Sasuke struggle to put on his shoes. She herself had changed out of the clothes the Uchiha Matriarch had lent her and was back in the white robes of her clan. It made her stand out, but the material was familiar and comforting.

 _She was Haruno Otsutsuki Sakura_ , the thought alone was comforting.

 _'You are Haruno Otsutsuki Sakura.'_ Her Inner says. _'You have a purpose in this world.'_

Sakura took a deep breath.

Regaining her memories had been a shock to her, and a part of her found it hard to believe that she had forgotten something so important, even if had been intentional and under the influence of a jutsu.

 _'The Uchiha are a powerful and influential clan of Konoha.'_ Her Inner said. _'It will be beneficial to maintain a close relationship with them.'_

 _I know._ Sakura reached up at swept her hair out of her face, only half focused on what was in front of her. _I am to just continue living here?_

Her Inner hummed an affirmative. _'Yes. Toneri and you will make preparations for the final execution of the plan up until the time is right.'_

 _And how do I know when the time is right?_

 _'You will feel it. The moon will call, and you will know.'_

If she were to spend the next how many years living in Konoha, she was going to have to adapt. Sakura knew she had several advantages she could play to, one of them being that she was the lone survivor of a clan with sought-after techniques. The village would want to make her one of their own, and the best way to do that would be to indoctrinate her among the most powerful clan of Konoha. It would not be difficult on her part, too, because the Haruno had never been loyal to Kirigakure.

"Done!"

Sakura blinked and looked up to see that Sasuke had finished with his shoes. "Let's go Sakura."

Sakura mutely nodded. "Lead the way."

The boy brightened and he straightened. "This way." He made a beeline towards the compound gates and Sakura followed. Behind them, she could sense Itachi following at a much slower pace.

Her first look at the village had been from the roofs, from her perch on Itachi's back. Her second look had been the march to the Torture and Interrogation building accompanied by Itachi and an unnamed shinobi. This was her first time she was able to freely look around.

As they walked, Sakura observed. People greeted Sasuke and Itachi and sent her curious looks, but no one turned any hostility in her direction. Sakura thought of the sibling clans of the Haruno, the Kaguya, and the Hozuki, and thought of how, besides interclan interactions with the aforementioned families, she had no recollection of any interaction with any community within Kiri. Here, while no one knew everyone, they were all close enough to share greetings among strangers.

"Come on, Sakura!" Sasuke called.

"Sorry." Sakura gave the market street one last look and quickened her steps. She would have plenty of time to explore later, she was sure. She caught up to the boy, but Sasuke gave a huff and grabbed her wrist. Sakura stiffened at the sudden contact but she did not pull her wrist away. Sasuke did not seem to notice her discomfort and he impatiently tugged her along.

Sasuke let her go when they arrived at the border of a small clearing. "Dobe!"

A blond boy crouched in a squared off area full of sand stopped whatever he had been looking and looked up. "Teme!"

Something pulsed within her, a warmth similar to the one she had felt when she saw Sasuke last night, standing, half hidden by the shadows.

 _It feels like Ashura._

However, this time, it didn't stop there, because suddenly, something called out to her. She felt her Inner stiffen, then go silent. For a heartbeat, just for the briefest of moments, she saw fire. There was gold flames and a set of glowing glaring red eyes before it was gone, just like that.

 _That..._ Sakura had to fight hard to suppress the laughter that threatened to spill out. _It was here, all this time._

 _'Sakura.'_ Inner's voice was sharp, and Sakura blinked and lost track of her thoughts. Instantly, whatever she had found funny vanished from her mind.

 _What-what was that?_ Sakura asked. _That...thing...I know it, but I can't remember._

 _'Now is not the time.'_ Her Inner said briskly.

Sakura remembered with a start that she was currently in the company of people. She looked up to find the boys still arguing. She could feel Itachi standing behind her.

In between annoyed shouts, she caught the word 'Teme'.

"I thought your brother's name was Sasuke," Sakura said, directing her words to Itachi, hoping the teen would understand.

Itachi did. "'Teme' is a nickname for my brother." He explained. "A nickname is a name given to someone in place of their real name and is a sign of familiarity."

"Will I get one as well?" Sakura asked, more at herself than at Itachi, and more out of curiosity than a want for one. Itachi chuckled.

"Sakura!" Sasuke called. "Come on."

Itachi gave her a gentle nudge and Sakura turned to watch the older Uchiha move away to sit on a bench before she steeled herself and approached the younger Uchiha and his smiling friend.

"Dobe, this is Sakura," Sasuke said and she came to a stop. "Sakura, this is Naruto."

"Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan!" The boy, Naruto, exclaimed. "My tou-chan told me about you."

Sakura frowned. Whatever it had been, was no completely gone.

"The Hokage is my tou-chan." Naruto explained, apparently thinking her confusion came from her not understanding his words. "One day, I'm going to become an even better Hokage than him!"

Sakura examined the boy, noting his obvious differences to Sasuke. They were practically polar opposites. She felt her Inner give her a nudge and she quickly pulled herself back into reality. "The pleasure is all mine, Naruto-san." She said politely.

Naruto blinked in confusion and Sasuke was quick to explain. "Her upbringing is stiff."

Sakura had no idea what that meant, but Naruto seemed to understand. "Ooohhhh." He clapped his hands together. "Anyways, let's play, Sakura-chan! What do you want to do? You're the girl, so you can decide!"

Sakura could not understand how her gender made that decision, but she accepted it when both boys eagerly turned to look at her. "Well, I do not know what exactly is available for us to do." She said slowly, because she really did not know. "Perhaps you could show me around?"

* * *

 _'Be careful.'_ Her Inner said. _'They are Naruto and Sasuke.'_

The moment she had awakened, everything had felt different. Sakura did not know how to explain it, but she had felt like she suddenly understood things. When Sasuke and stuck his head around the doorframe, something in her mind had screamed 'Indra'. She was quick to realize that it was her blood reacting to the reincarnations of Asura and Indra.

Sakura thought back to one of the few tales she had been told as a child, the bitter and tragic stories of the two brothers.

Naruto and Sasuke were friends and yet, their paths were set in stone by a grudge generations old. They were merely victims of the power and corruption the misuse of chakra had brought.

 _I know._ She thought. _I just forget._

 _'Their story is not one we should delve into.'_ Her Inner said, her tone suddenly kind and gentle. _'We already have one century old tale to bring to a conclusion. We cannot take up another.'_

 _I know._ Sakura repeated.

* * *

A few weeks later, at breakfast, Sasuke marched up to her, chest puffed up in boyish pride and a grin on his face. "I'm turning six in a week." He said proudly.

Sakura blinked. "Oh?"

Sasuke seemed to visibly deflate. "Ye-Yeah."

Her Inner helpfully sent her a memory from a while ago, in the Interrogation room, where Morino Ibiki had asked her for her birthday. "You were born almost six years ago?" She asked.

Sasuke nodded. "That's what a birthday is."

"It is...something to be proud of?"

"It's an occasion to be celebrated," Sasuke said. "When'd yours, by the way? I don't think you've ever told me."

"I-" Sakura thought through her words. "My clan does not keep records of dates of birth." She explained. "I merely know that I born sometime during the third moo-month of the...the..."

 _'Year.'_ Her Inner supplied.

"Year," Sakura said.

"Oh." Sasuke frowned at this. "Well, you've still got a long time until March, so maybe we can decide on a day by then." He grinned. "Anyways, I'm having a party, and since you live here, you're invited by default." He paused as if to revel in the pride of having used such language. "Dobe and his parents are also coming." He spun on his heels. "Make sure you bring me a present!" He said, then ran off again.

Sakura blinked at the mouth of the corridor, where the boy had vanished around. _A present..._

* * *

Mikoto had just finished putting away the last of the laundry when she heard mumbling coming from the living room, and stuck her head in to see what was going on.

Sakura took by the bookshelf, squinting at a book her in her hands. The girl had arrived without any literary knowledge, but she had been very quick at picking it up. Now, she could read most of the books on the shelf.

"A present, a thing given to someone as a gift." Sakura flipped back through the dictionary. "A gift, a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present." She frowned.

Mikoto approached her. "Do you need some help?"

Sakura turned around to look at her and Mikoto smiled reassuringly. The pinkette held up the dictionary. "Sasuke requested a present for his birthday." She explained. "However, I do not exactly know what a present is."

Mikoto tensed, just a little, at the reminder of just how different the girl's upbringing must have been. If she did not know what a present was, it was unlikely that she had ever received on. While she understood clan traditions better than most, the mother part of her hurt that some children were brought up like this. "I present is an object given to someone, in this case, to celebrate something. It's common to give birthday gifts to people on their birthdays."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully. "What would you recommend as a gift?"

Mikoto hesitated because she knew Sakura did not have anything material from her life in Kiri. "Anything with meaning and thought put into it is good." She said, trying to keep her awkwardness out of her tone. "If you need any money, you just have to ask."

Sakura placed a hand on her chin. "My clan was never truly a part of Kiri." She said suddenly. "Everything Haruno in the village is mine. If I do borrow money, I will be sure to return it to you."

"I doubt Kiri will simply relinquish it to you, now that you're in Konoha." Mikoto found herself saying before she realized she was talking to a child five years of age. "I mean-"

However, Sakura simply nodded. "I understand your worry," She said. "However, no one can enter the Haruno compound without the permission of the clan head. Everything on Haruno land will be as untouched as it was on the day of the massacre." The girl suddenly stiffened, but her expression did not change. She smiled. "So please do not worry." She said. "Soon, everything there will once again return to me. After all, I am the current head of the clan." She shut the dictionary and placed it back in its place on the shelf. "Thank you for your help, Mikoto-san." She said. "I will find you if I do find myself in need of some money."

Sakura bowed, then walked out of the room.

* * *

'What are you planning?'

Sakura closed the door to the room that had been given to her and immediately moved towards the bed. _Something meaning and thought_ , She thought back to her Inner, then sat down on her futon and runs chakra through the seal on her arm. _I have plenty of small clan trinkets with me._

 _'It is the last of your clan items.'_ Her Inner said, but it is more of a statement than a disagreeing argument.

 _It will be an act of trust._ Sakura dug through her seal. _Sasuke-san will not understand yet, but his parents and brother will. What they do not know, is that it will be an act of binding on my part too._

 _'We need allies.'_ Her Inner agreed. _'The boy will make a good follower.'_

Sakura hummed in agreement as her fingers brushed something cold. Soon, there was a blue crystal magatama lying in her hand. This was one of the magatamas made from the Haruno Crystals of life from within the caves.

 _'The Haruno chakra is powerful and influencing. Sasuke keeping it with him alone will be enough.'_

Sakura nodded, her mind made up. She borrowed a little money from Mikoto and went out to buy a chain. She looped the chain through the hole in the crystal and pulsed her chakra through it for good measures.

 _'We have some money to spare.'_ Her Inner noted. _'Why don't we visit that...shop over there and buy something to put it into?'_

Sakura heeded her Inner's advice and did just that.

* * *

A week later, people gathered in the Uchiha head's house for Sasuke's sixth birthday party. Invited were Naruto, his parents, and a few of Sasuke's cousins.

"This is Shisui," Sasuke said. "And that's Obito."

Sakura observed the cheerful waves and greetings sent her way by the two older Uchiha and decides that they were a little different from the image of the Uchiha clan she had up until this point. Still, she politely bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Obito-san, Shisui-san."

The two males appeared to falter at her polite tone and she caught Itachi sighing behind them. Mikoto then ushered them all towards the dining table, where she had set up a huge feast.

Sakura sat in between Sasuke and Naruto, where Mikoto had placed her, probably in hopes that she would deter the two boys from fighting over the food. She uncertainly picks at the food for a while as the boys immediately began shoveling things into their mouths.

Ever since she had arrived in Konoha, she had eaten things she had never seen, or even heard of, in her life, and it was one thing she preferred over her previous life. It actually tasted good.

"Don't eat too much," Naru told her through a mouthful of food. "We still have cake."

"Cake?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded and turned back to his food with renewed vigor. Sakura wondered if she should ask, then decided that she could wait for whatever it was to appear.

Once the plates were cleared, Mikoto shooed them all out into the living room while she cleared up. "Don't leave the wrapping on the floor!" She called.

Sasuke darted off towards where the presents had been piled and Naruto rushed off after him. The two boys sat down on the floor and Naruto passed the first present on the pile to Sasuke."Mine first mine first."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but did as requested. He pulled out a large orange book with the words 'Best pranks for dummies 101.'

"Cause they're best pranks," Naruto said proudly. "And you're a dummy, so..."

Sasuke scowled. "Dobe." Still, Sakura noticed the way he carefully put the book to the side. "Thanks." He muttered.

Naruto's grin widened. "We've gotta try those out."

Sasuke smirked, then took the next gift.

He received a book on weapons and their maintenance from Kushina and Minato, a set of shinobi attire with the Uchiha emblem stitched proudly onto the back from Mikoto and Fugaku, and a weapon set from Itachi. Shisui gifted him with a shinobi pouch while Obito had gotten him several packets of senbon and explosive seals.

 _'These gifts they present Sasuke with are weapons.'_ Her Inner said quietly. _'Apart from Naruto's book, they are all means of killing and methods to achieve that.'_

 _A gift with meaning._ Sakura thought back. _Perhaps what Mikoto-san meant was something that gave meaning. Weapons give shinobi a mean to kill, and killing is what gives shinobi an identity._

* * *

Naruto glanced back towards where the pile had been and noticed a small box. It was small, so he must not have noticed it among the bigger bags. He fished it up and held it to his face. "This is from..." Naruto turned the small box it over.

"Sakura." Sasuke snatched it from him and turned to her for confirmation, which the girl gave with a nod.

The boy slowly opened the box and gasped. Naruto instantly leaned over in an attempt see but Sasuke automatically pushed him away. "Wait." He reached in and slowly drew out a silver chain with a beautiful crystal attached to it. "Wow."

Naruto leaned in again and this time, Sasuke did not shove him away. "That looks so cool." He breathed.

"Magatama are a symbol of my clan," Sakura explained quietly. "That one is made from a special kind of stone. You will not find anything like it anywhere else in the world."

Sasuke gently ran a finger over the crystal and Naruto felt a sudden jolt as a strange feeling filled him. From deep within he felt a growl and he instinctively wrapped his arms around himself.

The thing was quiet, most of the time, but sometimes, he could hear its anguished, pained snarls. He glanced over at his parents, who were both looking at the magatama and quickly looked away. His father was a seal master and his mother had lived with this thing in her for years.

He could do this. Naruto shook his head clear of his thoughts and turned to Sakura, a grin on his face. "I want one too."

* * *

After his brother's party, Itachi helped his mother clean up while Sasuke dragged his friends to the park again, this time accompanied by Naruto's parents.

That night, Sakura approached him. "May I ask a question, Itachi-san?"

The Uchiha heir looked up from his scroll. "Of course, go ahead."

"How long does it take from Konoha to Kiri if you were to travel as fast as you could?"

Itachi slowly rolled up his scroll. "Why do you ask?" He asked carefully.

"I believe I have loitered around enough," Sakura said simply. "Regardless of our loyalties, my clan hails from Kiri. As the Haruno head, I have business I must look to." She glanced down. "My clanmates are still lying untouched in the exact places they had died in all those years ago. At the least, I must go pay them my respects."

Itachi slowly rolled up his scroll. "Untouched?" he asked.

Dead bodies released a terrible stench. Surely the village would have cleared up the site by now.

Sakura, however, nodded in a sure manner. "From the moment I left its grounds, the Haruno compound has been untouched. Those grounds are bound to the chakra of the clan head and is protected by impenetrable seals only I can release. Everything is exactly as it was on that fateful night."

"Relations between the two villages are not the best," Itachi said. "Even if Hokage-sama accepts your request to travel to Kiri, I highly

"What if Kiri sends an invite?" Sakura asked. "A formal one. WIll Hokage-sama accept it then?"

Itachi simply raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan to do that?"

Sakura slowly raised her arm, and Itachi did not know what he had been expecting, but it certainly was not bone like structures suddenly erupting from her limb. However that was exactly what did happened and, before his very eyes, the bones grew feathers and moments later, a black crow with its head covered in cloth with a white circle on it was perched on her arm. It let out a series of clicks before it nuzzled Sakura's cheek and let out a soft saw.

Itachi tried to reach out towards it with his own summoning contract, but it did not react. Not to mention, while it did emit chakra, there was something off about it.

"A clan summon," Sakura explained. "I will contact Hozuki Kagetsu. Out clans were sibling clans. He will heed my request and pass my message on to the Mizukage."

Itachi watched the girl for a while longer before he gave her a sharp nod. "Very well." He said. "I will bring it up with Hokage-sama."

Sakura dipped her head in gratitude, then turned to her bird and murmured softly to it. The crow let out another caw, raised its wings, and promptly proceeded to shed all its feathers. Sakura let out a gasp, then a soft laugh, then petter it some more. The bird hopped around on her arm, regrew its feathers, then flew out the window. Sakura watched it until it vanished, then turned to him again.

"Thank you, Itachi-san."

* * *

 **Update~**

 _ **Darque: So, things are happening.**_

 **Raven: Yes, indeed, they are happening.**

 _ **Darque: More to come next chapter.**_

 **Raven: Yup.**

 _ **Darque: On a side note, I took a nap and woke up at around 9 pm, and my first thought was 'Holy cheese nuggets I'm laTe fOR ScHOoL.**_

 **Raven:...I do that too, sometimes.**

 _ **Darque: Right, right?  
**_

 **Raven: Then I look out the window and it's dark and I'm like 'What on earth is going on.'**

 _ **Darque: XD**_

 **Read and Review~**


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter SIX**_

Only a few days later, a summon from the Hokage arrived in the form of a Chunin. Itachi accompanied Sakura to the Hokage's office, where a white haired man was waiting for them alongside Minato.

The Hokage smiled at them as they entered his office. "Hello Sakura-chan, Itachi-kun."

Sakura dipped her head at the man first, then fixed the other presence in the room with a look. She slowly raised her hands and made a gesture Itachi recalled seeing her make in greeting for his father. The man raised his own fist and returned the gesture.

"Kagetsu-san."

"Sakura." The man paused and Sakura nodded firmly.

"I have not received my new name. Therefore, I am still Sakura." She confirmed.

Hozuki Kagetsu dipped his head. "My condolences." He murmured. Sakura merely nodded to acknowledge his words.

"Sakura-chan."

At her name, Sakura turned away from the Hozuki head and fixed Minato with her blank eyes. "Hokage-sama."

Minato smiled. "You may temporarily return to Kiri." He said. "You should pay your clan your respects."

Sakura dipped her head again. "Thank you."

* * *

Sakura briefly returned to the Uchiha compound to prepare for her trip. Sasuke walked in on her just as she had pulled her bag over her shoulders and his eyes widened. "Are you going somewhere?"

Sakura turned to face the boy. It was still morning and the sunlight shone brightly through the window. Still, the magatama she had given him seemed to glow as a reaction to her presence.

"Yes." She said.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke followed her out of her room.

"I am temporarily returning to Kiri."

"What?" Sasuke sped past her and planted himself in front of him. "Why would you do that?" He demanded. "Are you going to stay there?"

"Temporarily," Sakura repeated. "I am simply returning to play my clan my respects and take care of a few loose ends as the new head of the Haruno clan.

Sasuke did not appear to understand half of what she had said. "So you're going to go to Kiri, do stuff, then come back?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course."

Sasuke visibly slumped in relief. "Why now though?" He complained. "The Academy is starting soon! You'll miss it! How long are you going for, anyway?"

"I have been given a month." She told him. "Though Hokage-sama has agreed to be flexible with this deadline." Sakura then made a detour to the dining room, where Mikoto and Fugaku had been seated in a rare moment of relaxation, drinking tea. "Uchiha-san, Mikoto-san." Sakura lowered her head briefly. "Thank you for your hospitality." She said. "I will be departing now."

Mikoto smiled. "Be careful." She said. "Come back safe."

Fugaku merely graced her with a firm nod.

Sakura nodded before she turned and made her way towards the door and Sasuke continued to trot after her. "Are you leaving now?" He asked.

Sakura nodded. "The faster I get there, the faster I can return."

Of course, that was not really the case, but it must have sounded reasonable in Sasuke's mind because he stopped questioning her. Itachi was waiting for them at the gates and after greeting his brother, he accompanied them to the gates of the village.

Kagetsu waited by the guards and he nodded in greeting when they arrived. Sakura turned to face the two Uchiha. "I will be off." She said.

"Hurry back," Sasuke grumbled. "It'll be a mess if you don't return in time to be on the same team as us."

Sakura decided that he had to be referring to the Genin system. Itachi had once given her a brief outline of how the ranking system worked.

"Okay." She said.

"Take care," Itachi told her.

Sakura nodded. "I will."

Kagetsu waited patiently as she said her final goodbyes. He then passed his papers to the guards at the gates, who read through them and handed them back. "Let us go, Sakura-san."

Sakura slowly accepted the hand held out to her and, in the next second, found her on the Hozuki head's back.

"Bye!"

Sakura glanced back one last time to see Sasuke waving at her. She hesitantly raised her own hand and copied his gesture, before Kagetsu picked up his pace and she could no longer make out their forms in the distance.

* * *

Kagetsu's entry back into Kiri qs much faster than when he had tried to leave Konoha. He merely had to show his face and the guards stepped to the side. No one outwardly questioned Sakura's presence on the man's back but she could see the curious looks and could already imagine the stories that were being put together.

Kagetsu lowered her down to the ground the moment they got past the most populated part of the village. Sakura slowly straightened her robes before she glanced in the direction of the Mizukage's office.

Kirigakure was unlike Konoha is so many ways, and the most obvious, currently, was the atmosphere that surrounded the people of Kirigakure. They were not friends, they were not enemies. They were merely people who lived in the same village. There were no friendly waves and familiar greetings, just cold calculation and words shared only when necessary.

"Yagura-sama would like to see you before the end of the day," Kagetsu told her.

Sakura closed her eyes. She had never met the Mizukage who had given the Village its renowned title of Chigiri, neither did she know a lot about him. He had only been brought to her attention after she had arrived in Konoha. With her hailing from Kiri, Yagura had come up in more than one conversations.

"Okay." She said. "I will be sure to head to his office before sunset today."

Kagetsu nodded. "I must return to my compound." He told her. "Will you be able to make your way back to your place by yourself?"

Sakura closed her eyes. She could feel the compound and their chakra calling for her. "I will be fine."

Kagetsu smiled faintly. "I extend an invitation for dinner to you." He said. "Mizuki and the boys are eager to see you."

Sakura smiled at the mention of the man's wife. A nice woman. "I will be honored."

The two of them parted ways soon after. People followed them with their eyes and she passed and their whispers grew louder and louder as she broke away from the main street and began making her way up towards the hill that led to the Haruno compound.

The Haruno compound lay completely underground and on the surface was nothing but flat, barren land. The gate and the walls that surrounded their grounds was simple in appearance, wooden structures similar to that around the Uchiha compound. However, Sakura could sense the powerful chakra being radiated from them and she knew it was this chakra that had warded off many from attempting to approach their lands. As for those who were brave enough to venture further. Sakura felt the chakra wash over her like a caress as she walked through the gates. This chakra would block out anyone without Haruno blood from even entering the grounds.

It is nothing but welcoming to Sakura, though. Glowing vertical lines of chakra lit up the way towards the opening in the earth that led right down to her home.

Once underground, Sakura made her way through a long corridor that led to the heart of the compound. She walked past several of the doors and finally came to a stop in front of the one that stood opposite the entrance of the compound. She slid open the fusuma to reveal a large room, the largest in the compound, the oohiroma.

She slowly entered the room. The tatami was smooth under her feet and she could picture Senri sitting at the head of the room with several other of her clansmen on either side of him. That was all the past, though, and Sakura slowly, almost hesitantly, sat at where the clan head sat during meetings.

There was no one to look up at her, though, and Sakura could only picture her dead clanmates sitting before her.

* * *

Senri's room, now hers, was like any other room in the compound. There were no windows, just walls covered from ceiling to floor with drawings of the Otsutsuki clan. Directly in front of her was the Otsutsuki clan symbol, painting into the walls with chakra. All around her, she could see illustrations of the tales and stories she had been told as a child.

' _We can look through his books later,'_ Her Inner said gently. ' _Why don't we visit the library? We never had the chance to explore it before, seeing as children were forbidden from entering it.'_

Sakura nodded. _Okay._ She looked over her room one last time before she turned and continued on her way down the corridor again.

* * *

The Haruno archives were full of scrolls more from outside this world than from within this world. While she was sure clans like the Uchiha had archives full of techniques passed down their clans, the Haruno's was more like a factual library.

There were records of wars and battles, or chakra usage and techniques, of remarkable individuals and unusual sightings of otherworldly beings.

The Haruno archive was a library that retold the entire history of shinobi, men, and chakra itself.

In a way, they were the creators of humankind as it was today, after all.

Sakura found stories of Kaguya the Mother of all Chakra, and of the tales of her sons. She even found a scroll on the Gatekeeper, a huge crab that guarded the gates to their true home.

' _The sun is setting.'_ Her Inner said. ' _The Hozuki are expecting us.'_

Sakura looked up from a scroll about the History of Sunagakure and nodded. _Perhaps I should get going._ She mentally promised to return later and she left the archives soon after.

* * *

The guards at the Hozuki compound let her through the moment they catch sight of her pink hair, and Kagetsu was waiting for her at the doors to the main house.

"Thank you for the invitation," Sakura said.

Kagetsu smiled. "It is no problem," He said. "Everyone is waiting to see you."

True to his words, a young boy rushed at her the moment she stepped into the dining room. "Sakura!"

The pinkette tensed and Inner quickly jostled her memories for her. ' _Suigetsu, Hozuki Suigetsu, the second son of Kagetsu.'_

Sakura blinked at the image of the boy, several years younger, running after her through the Haruno compound during one of his few visits. She accepted the hug he gave her. "Suigetsu."

The boy brightened. "You remember me!" He grinned. "You hair! It's pink! That's such a girly color! Why-" The boy was cut off by a whack to the back of his head, courtesy of his brother.

 _Mangetsu._

"It is nice to see you again, Sakura." The older boy WAS much calmer and composed. Suigetsu muttered complaints at the act of violence but fell in step with his brother to give her space.

"Mangetsu." Sakura bowed to them both. "It has been a while."

She then looked at the white haired woman smiling at the sight before her. "Mizuki-san." She bowed again.

"Sakura-san." Mizuki, Kagetsu's wife, approached her. "I'm so sorry about the massacre. I heard the perpetrator has not yet been caught. Has Konoha been treating you well?"

Sakura merely nodded in response to all three. "I have been fine." She said. "Though it is nice to breathe Kiri's heavy air again."

Mizuki laughed at that. "Let's take this to the table, yes?" She asked, ushering them all into the room. "I prepared dinner. If I recall, you are no longer bound by the rules regarding children, are you?"

Sakura shook her head and Mizuki's smile widened. The woman rushed off to finish setting up.

"Sit next to me Sakura." Suigetsu ordered. "We've got to fill you in in all you've missed."

Sakura was reminded of a certain boy waiting for her return back Konoha. She shook off this thought and smiled at the boy in front of her. "Okay."

* * *

After bidding the Hozuki good night, Kagetsu led the way briskly towards the center of the village. Shinobi and civilians alike moved to the side to make way for him and Sakura had a relatively easy time following him through the crowd. No one tried to stop him as he marched all the way up to what she could only assume was the Mizukage's office.

Kagetsu knocked on a door and a voice called out for them to enter. Sakura entered first when the Hozuki head held the door open for her but when he attempted to step into Yagura's office behind her but a single raised hand made him hesitate, then step back out. The door closed behind her and Sakura landed her gaze on the man before her.

Yagura certainly looked young, with greenish grey hair and pink eyes. Sakura noticed with irony that they were quite similar, with her pink hair and green eyes. He does not speak and, instead, he merely sits there and watches her until even she realizes that something was off.

' _Sakura.'_

Sakura paused as she realized what her Inner was trying to tell her. She thought for a second, then decided to just risk it. Her eyes bled white as she activated the Byakugan for the first time in a very long time. Instantly, Yagura's form became just a circuit of chakra, and a single large flare of familiar chakra was coming from his chest...

 _What was Toneri's Puppet Cursing Sphere doing inside Yagura?_

As if her realization was a trigger, Yagura smiled. "You must be Sakura."

Sakura warily deactivated her Byakugan but the man did not seem to notice at all.

"Mizukage-sama." Sakura offered him the standard Kiri greeting, then slowly dropped it when he continued to stare at her. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he fell forward. Sakura stiffened but the man stopped before he hit his head on the table.

"Mizukage-sama?"

' _Not anymore.'_ Her Inner said. ' _That's-'_

 _Toneri._

Sakura tensed, just a little, at the name she had tried not to think of for a while. However, the moment the name had flitted through her mind, she knew it was true.

"Toneri."

The Fourth Mizukage's form slowly sits up, then gets to his feet. He slowly walked around his desk and dropped into a crouch in front of her. "Sakura-sama."

The name sounds weird coming from the mouth of a man she had never met before, but now she was certain. "Toneri." She repeated, not quite knowing what to say.

Yagura, whose body was being controlled by Toneri, slowly drew himself up to full height and Sakura recognized the soft smile on his lips.

"Sakura-sama."

* * *

Keeping an eye on the Mizukage was easy. The Puppet Cursing Sphere was very effective in doing that. Even if one did notice this foreign ball of chakra inside him, no one could do anything about it.

Taking full control of a person using the Sphere was a tad bit more difficult, but Yagura was a special case.

Toneri inwardly chuckled at how the man had not been in full control of his own mind and body for the longest time. When Toneri was not having his way with him, there was the other presence who controlled his mind. However, he did not like to admit it there was something ancient about the second presence who held half the reigns of Yagura's mind, and it took him longer than he would like to completely steal the handles for a period of time.

It was not impossible, though, and he could see Sakura's bewildered form through the poor man's eyes.

"It has been a while, Sakura-sama." He gestured towards the guest chairs in the office and Sakura almost instinctively sat down at his words. He took a seat opposite her.

"It has." Sakura nodded. "How have you been?"

Toneri shrugged. "Fine, thank you." He reached for the tea the Mizukage's assistant had prepared for him beforehand in preparation for this meeting. "How is Konoha?"

"It is fine," Sakura said. "Different, but fine." She paused. "You arranged for my return to Kiri?"

Toneri poured a cup, passed it to Sakura, then poured himself a cup as well. "Of course." He confirmed.

Sakura smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Toneri shook his head. "Please, do not." He smiled back. "This merely benefited us both."

"And what do you plan?" Sakura brought her cup to her mouth and took a sip. "You did not call me here so that we can greet each other, did you?"

Toneri laughed softly. "No, but before that, how long do you have in Kiri before you are expected to return?"

"A month," Sakura told him. "Though Hokage-sama has agreed to be flexible with this."

"Spend a month here," Toneri said. "Clean the compound, explore the archives." He smiled. "And after your month is up, leave Kirigakure with Kagetsu."

Sakura's eyes brightened with understanding. "Where will we go?" She asked. "Konoha will know and Kiri will know. The first person they will look into after I go missing will be you."

Toneri laughed again. "Do not worry, Sakura-sama." He met her gaze. "Trust me."

Sakura eyed him before she nodded. "Very well. And what of Kagetsu? He will not let you off without a fight."

"Sacrifices are necessary," Toneri said easily.

Sakura frowned. "A pity." She said. "I liked the man."

Toneri got to his feet. "I believe you should be going now. Connections are important. Visit the Hozuki at some point."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully. "I will do that." She placed her cup back on the table and smiled. "It was nice seeing you, Toneri." She said.

"Likewise, Sakura-sama." He replied. "I will be seeing you soon."

* * *

 **'Ere's chapter Six~**

 _ **Darque: Poor Yagura. Ma poor boi :(**_

 **Raven: It is kind of sad.**

 _ **Darque: Anyways, I have a story to share and I was going to do it last chapter, but I forgot, so here goes.**_

 **Raven: Oh?**

 ** _Darque: You_ _ _kn_ ow, I was typing 'Mikoto' last chapter, right? _**

**Raven: Yeah.**

 _ **Darque: But back then, I was using a computer that's not the one I usually use, right?**_

 **Raven: Yeah?**

 _ **Darque: And that computer had some sort of spell checker and an auto correct thing, yeah?**_

 **Raven: Yeah?**

 _ **Darque: And 'Mikoto' kept correcting itself to 'Mojito'.**_

 **Raven: XD Did you fix all of them?**

 _ **Darque: I think so. I hope so.**_

 **Read and Review~**


	8. Chapter 7

**NEW STORY INFO AT THE BOTTOM!**

 ** _Chapter SEVEN_**

When Sakura stepped out of the office, Kagetsu hurried over to her. He did not question what the Mizukage had wanted, but he gave her an once-over to see if she was okay, and she once again felt pity for the man who seemed to genuinely care for her.

She knew his fate, after all.

* * *

Sakura clearly remembered the puppets that had acted as servants around the Haruno compound and when she reached out, a countless number of chakra signatures that weren't quite human replied to her call. Sakura made her way down towards the isolated cave located deeper down, and the moment she even got close, the smell of blood and rotting flesh hit her nose. She wordlessly commanded the puppets behind her move past her into the cave and begin the cleaning process.

Not like these caves would ever be used again.

At one point, she approached the mess and reached for a part of the bone that had begun to crystallize The process would be much faster deeper in the caves. Once she had them brought to the tunnels she had spent years living in with Toneri, they would turn to dust and crystalize on the walls in mere days.

With this thought in mind, Sakura commanded her puppets to clean any bits of flesh still left and to leave the bones in the tunnels. The puppets let out a series of clicks and they all floated out, soon leaving Sakura alone at the mouth of the cave that had changed her life.

* * *

Sakura spent a majority of her time in Kiri experimenting with the chakra techniques written down in the Haruno archives.

The Haruno chakra, or the Otsutsuki chakra, was the purest form of chakra. When shinobi clans took this chakra and made it their own, something distinctively theirs became a part of this chakra as it was honed and passed on. However, Sakura's chakra was the rawest, that was not tainted by generation after generation of human usage, and due to this nature, she could incorporate this energy into several other techniques.

Sakura broke out of her thoughts when her water dragon drew itself out from the river she had used as a medium and leaned down towards her. It's nuzzle left her cheek wet and she had to wipe at it lest she dirty her clothes but she merely smiled at the creature and it made a gurgling sound as its liquid vocal cords strained to create noise. Sakura could see her Puppet Cursing sphere glowing in its chest, where it heart would have been had it been a real being.

Two weeks had passed since her arrival in Kiri and by now, people were used to seeing her walking the fogged streets of the village. Some smaller shinobi families even extended invitation for tea and dinner towards her but she always had Kagetsu, and when he was not available Mangetsu, accompanying her and that kept a majority of them off her back. If that wasn't enough, the eerie clicking of her ever-present puppets warned the rest of them away.

It was that clicking, which people found creepy but brought her comfort, that alerted her of an approaching figure. She looked back to see Suigetsu rushed over, a wide grin on his face. "Sakura!"

Sakura spun on her spot to face him and greeted him with a soft smile of her own. "Hello, Suigetsu."

The boy skidded to a halt beside her. "Let's get lunch together!"

Sakura glanced back in the direction the boy had come from, but saw no members of his clan accompanying him. "You snuck out of a meeting?" She guessed.

"Academy," Suigetsu corrected, like it did not matter either way. "Now, let's go."

* * *

And just like that, her time in Kiri slowly drew to an end. Sakura stood at the gates of Kirigakure, checking over herself one last time. Kagetsu stood beside her, ready to accompany her back to Konoha, while his wife and children stood opposite them.

"I'll see you again?" Suigetsu asked.

Sakura smiled faintly at the similarities she saw between the boy and Sasuke.

' _Allies,'_ her Inner said. ' _He will make a good ally.'_

Sakura nodded. "Of course," she told him.

"Take care, Sakura," Mangetsu said.

"You too," Sakura straightened her cloak over her shoulder then turned to Mizuki. "Thank you for having me."

The woman smiled. "Anytime, Sakura-san."

Sakura bowed one last time before she turned to the man beside her. "I am ready, Kagetsu-san."

"I'll be back." Kagetsu told his family, then nodded at her. "Then let us depart."

Sakura watched Mizuki, Mangetsu and Suigetsu wave at them as she followed the Hozuki head out of the village.

 _He's not coming back,_ she almost said. _He's playing a role, just like the rest of us._

* * *

Hozuki Kagetsu's death was as swift and as painless as any death could be. Sakura watched him collapse onto the ground, then turned towards where the burst of chakra had come from.

"Is this mercy?" She asked softly.

"Some say death is release," Toneri stepped out from behind the trees. His empty sockets landed on her and a smile graced his lips. "Personally, I do not care too much."

Sakura crouched down beside the man that had taken care of he for the past month. "I'm sorry," she said simply. She felt something heavy in her stomach but could give it no name, so she pushed it aside.

Toneri laughed. "I took into consideration his service to you and made it as painless as possible," he said. "His body simply stopped working. Without a working body, one cannot register pain."

"A blast of sheer chakra powerful enough to simply force a body to shut down," she said in wonder.

Toneri nodded. "It only works against a single target and requires a long time to prepare," he said. "It is not very functional in battle."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully and allowed her companion to cut into her arm to extract a little of her blood. He proceeded to toss it around the clearing they were in, then tossed away the kunai as well. He left a few scuff marks on the ground, then turned towards her. "I believe that will be enough," he said.

Sakura looked one last time at the dead body lying in the clearing before she nodded. "Shall we depart?" She asked.

Toneri nodded and turned towards the trees. "The closest entrance to the caves are a little away," he told her. "From there, we will be heading home."

Sakura's thoughts went blank at the word. "Home?"

Toneri smiled. "Yes, home."

* * *

Sakura liked to think that the Haruno tunnels existed in a dimension of its own, where normal humans simply could enter without a Haruno or Otsutsuki guide. This was because these pathways, which had existed for as long as the shinobi nations, or even life itself on these lands, stretched out across the entirety of the lands and no one had ever come across them.

Of course, there were rumors about them, and they had grown during the Shinobi Wars when the Haruno had often used them as a means of transportation of backup, supplies, and information, but even if one did see them simply vanish, no one could follow them.

Sakura paused in her steps and looked around the stone structure. There was no sunlight, no fire, and the tunnels were simply lit up by the glowing blue-green crystals that symbolized their history.

Soon, in the distant, she could hear the sound of water. Toneri sped up, almost subconsciously, and Sakura followed without complaint. A while later, they arrived in a clearing with a small spring, and Sakura felt a sudden, powerful pull towards the glowing liquid. Her companion did not even stop; he simply kept going, pausing only when Sakura stopped at the edge of the water. He turned around, standing knee deep in the surprisingly deep spring, and smiled. "There is nothing to fear," he told her gently and slowly held out his hand.

Sakura took it without hesitation and allowed the older teen to guide her into the water. A few steps later, only her head was sticking out of the water. Toneri released her hand and moved a little further until he too was beck deep in water.

"There is nothing to fear," Toneri said again. "I will see you on the other side."

As if on cue, Sakura suddenly lost her footing. She immediately tried to find the bottom of the spring, only for her feet to hit nothing. She took an unwilling sharp breath, expecting water to come flowing into her lungs, only to blink and suddenly find herself sitting on the floor, completely dry, with Toneri smiling down at her. "That was the portal," he told her.

Sakura's head whipped up and glanced around. She allowed Toneri to help her to her feet and almost blindly followed him as he began walking in a certain direction.

"This is the bridge between the Earth and the Moon," he told her. "These orbs contain memories of all humans that have ever walked the lands," He gestured towards the glowing spheres. "Some are forever trapped in their memories and can never escape." However, when he reached towards one, the sphere floated away from him like it was being repelled. "That does not apply to us."

Sakura smiled as Toneri cleared a path for them and soon, in the distant, she could make out a huge shape. "The Gatekeeper," she whispered.

Toneri nodded. "The Guardian of this dimension."

Sakura knew of this creature from the tales passed down. The Gatekeeper guarded the doors to the moon and stopped anyone not Otsutsuki from entering the sacred grounds. The crab regarded them with its beady eyes and let them pass without any interference.

Behind the huge creatures was another spring. This time, Sakura did not even hesitate, and when she appeared on the other time, she found herself overlooking a very familiar scenery. Above them, the artificial sun brought light, and below the ledge they were standing on, was the Otsutsuki village.

* * *

Minato placed the letter on his desk and took a deep breath. "Please call in Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Shisui."

His assistant hurried out of his office.

The two Uchiha entered his office mere minutes later and Kakashi was relatively early as well. Minato pushed aside his surprise and gestured towards the letter. "I just received a letter from the Hozuki."

Itachi instantly stiffened and SHisui glanced over at his cousin in worry. Kakashi remained reactionless.

"Sakura left Kiri, accompanied by Hozuki Kagetsu, two weeks ago," he paused. "Travel times would have taken a few days at most. However, the Head has not returned, and Sakura has not yet arrived."

"So they're missing?" Shisui asked.

Minato nodded solemnly. "There is a possibility they had been attacked."

"Toneri," Kakashi said.

Minato nodded again. "That is a possibility," He held out a scroll. "You will head out to Kiri. The Mizukage has been alerted of your arrival. We will search around on our own, but any information found will be shared between the two villages. You have permission to enter Kiri and talk to the Hozuki. Kakashi will act as team leader. Track down their routing, and see if you can find anything on their whereabouts."

* * *

The Hozuki were surprisingly willing to meet them, especially considering the relation between the two villages, but Uchiha Shisui was not too shocked, considering that their clan head was missing. After receiving the confirmation that the two had left the village gates and there were many witnesses, they headed out of the village and immediately began tracking their pathing.

Kakashi sent out his dogs and Pakkun came back a while later, eyes serious. "We found something," he said. "But you might not like it."

Indeed Shisui did not like it. The lifeless body of Hozuki Kagetsu lay limp in a clearing and Sakura was nowhere to be found. There were blood splotches on the ground and Pakkun immediately confirmed that it did not belong to the Hozuki head.

"Send a summon to Hokage-sama," Kakashi ordered Itachi, then turned to his summon. "Is there a scent trail?"

Pakkun shook his head. "Well, there is a scent trail leading that way." He gestured with a paw into the trees. "But it vanishes after a bit, almost like they just disappeared."

Shisui watched Itachi send off his crow, eyes dark. He knew his cousin had been close to the girl, and his brother liked her as well. He stood awkwardly to the side as Kakashi stood up.

"Let's return to Kiri," he finally said. "We should return the body to his family."

* * *

Itachi returned to Konoha with a sense of dread weighing him down. It had been a while and he was sure most of them had forgotten, or had at least put to the back of their minds, the reason Sakura had ended up in Konoha.

And just like that, she had vanished. Whoever had taken her had left a dead man in his wake. He could not stop himself from worrying. This dread only got worse as he went with his team to report their findings, or the lack of it thereof, to the Hokage and returned to the Uchiha compound. The Academy had started a week or so ago and Sasuke had been complaining nonstop about the girl's delayed return. He had been pressing him about information on the girl and he could not decide if it would be kinder and right to tell him of the truth or keep him from it just a while longer.

The kidnapper had held the girl captive for years and had come after her once again. He had a nagging feeling and a growing fear that this time, they may not find her. In the end, when Sasuke ran up to him, he could only say that there had been a delay.

He could not bring himself to crush that smile, not just yet.

* * *

The Otsutsuki village called to her, that was the only thing she could think of. She was sure she had never been here before, never stepped foot on their home planet, but there was a heavy sense of familiarity that made her run her fingers over the structures that stood on either side of the streets as the two of them traveled through the village towards the main Otsutsuki compound.

It was almost as though she knew this place, knew where exactly she was going.

Perhaps it was her blood.

"Sakura-sama?"

Sakura turned towards Toneri, who had stopped a little ahead of her and was now waiting for her. "Sorry." She quickened her pace, so that she was walking beside him.

"No worries, Sakura-sama," Toneri said softly. "I understand it must be..."

"It's strange," she said, eyes once against wandering. "Like I've been here before."

Toneri did not say anything. Instead, he merely continued to smile and Sakura firmly turned away from the streets and towards the looming compound of the Otsutsuki.

* * *

Time passed differently on the Moon. A day on the Moon was around twenty-nine days on Earth, but they lived underneath the surface and an artificial sun supported life. It was not easy to see how much time has passed.

Sometimes, when she was not busy reading the scrolls and books found in the library and training with Toneri, she thought of Konoha.

Sasuke must be missing her. People must be worried. She felt a little bad, because she had promised the boy she would return. Of course, she would be returning. She had just not factored in this little detour with Toneri when she had stated so. The boy was a ball of innocence, she thought often. Just like that blond friend of his. And yet, they were both going to attend an Academy that taught them to kill using a gift that was meant to make life better.

Teaching was done by those who knew better. Perhaps they could simply kill the adults? The children were innocent until they were tainted, were they not? Not to mention, she quite enjoyed the company of some of the human children she had met.

Perhaps she could bring it up with Toneri.

* * *

If there was one thing Toneri feared, it was the influence human ways of thinking would have on Sakura. The girl was his, his to cultivate and sharpen, the one being that would share his ambition and the one who would remain with him once the sinners were purged.

However, he could not be with her all the time and all that stood between them and the taint of humankind was her loyalty towards their blood and him, and her belief that humans were wrong. He did not doubt that Sakura would fail to see their superiority to humans, but he decided that that was what fear was, an unreasonable force that made one think irrationally despite them knowing.

"Toneri!"

The teen paused in his musing when he heard his name being called by the very girl that haunted his current thoughts. If there was second thing he feared, he mused, it would be the strange feeling that filled his chest at the sound of her voice.

Distractions, after all, were very unwelcome, not when they were two beings trying to take on an entire world.

* * *

"The main reason this meeting was arranged was so that you can learn about your Dojutsu." Toneri told her. "The Tenseigan."

Sakura's hands slowly went up to her face. The Otsutsuki had several Kekkei Genkai, powers that had been lost and gained throughout their time as the rulers of the world. Even after they had ceased to be nothing more than a myth, a bedtime story of the history of the Shinobi World, their bloodlines lived on in the flesh and blood of their descendants.

However, in a way, it was no longer only theirs.

"It is your job, as the head of the Otsutsuki, to retrieve what truly belongs to us," Toneri had said. "As the last head of the clan who is the history itself of the world humans know today, you must right the wrong and punish those who have forgotten just who exactly they owe this life to."

Sakura clenched her fist. The Tenseigan activated in order to protect the user. The first awakening of the dojutsu came when the body truly felt it was in danger. Sakura knew that despite her role, she had grown up relatively sheltered. She hoped that as she rose in rank within Konoha as a shinobi, she would gain the chance to awaken the Tenseigan.

"We will research the other Kekkei Genkai that have been stolen from us," Toneri had said. "That is the other main reason we are here."

Sakura smiled faintly. This conversation had occurred a few moon days ago when they had eaten their first meal on the Moon.

"'Main reason'?" She had asked."There are others?"

"Of course," he had said. "I wanted to see you, Sakura-sama. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

This battle had started with just the two of them and no matter how many new pieces were introduced to her, she and Toneri would remain the two constant forces that affected the rest of them. Toneri had then smiled, empty eye sockets as dark as ever and his expression losing all the tenseness it usually held. This was a teen that thought and acted with the Otsutsuki constantly at the front of his mind. In a world that had forgotten their kind, he was the only one left here that truly understood her because he was almost just the same.

And any doubt had flown right out of her head.

* * *

 **NEW STORY:**

 **The Deity of Spring:**

 **Swearing revenge upon the world for the sins committed against her thousands of years ago, Kaguya rose from the ashes, bringing with her an army of Zetsus, and began a slow but sure march towards the Elemental Nations. Faced with a threat like never before, the people, in a desperate effort to make a stand, turn towards another legend, the Deity of Spring, for help. AU/SakuMulti.**

* * *

 **Update~**

 _ **Darque: Poor Kagetsu.**_

 **Raven: Indeed.**

 _ **Darque: IT'S OKAY THOUGH NONE OF MY ADORABLE BOIS WILL DIE.**_

 **Raven:...That's called favoritism.**

 _ **Darque: Uh, no? It's love. Love and dedication and loyalty.**_

 **Raven: Uhh...right. Okay. Right.**

 _ **Read and Review~**_


End file.
